tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46913195726444536692024-03-11T09:04:17.287+05:30Of Places and PeopleBy Bhagyalakshmi KrishnamurthyBhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-23424658399321522362024-03-11T08:57:00.007+05:302024-03-11T08:58:16.391+05:30Birthday bumps to a lovable menace! Published in Deccan Herald on March 9th, 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0jNGHMilNMvgWR-Uefl1HG-8zvQ2ysVN8mUcJxf635X9zwAQybTxBez1lZp47xX32EhyalISTcl-wlG9xzyNOisJS7UF1KRxms9pv-2j8z6jvfPKURiZKn_UfVUbk8dn03rpy9OWqk-Rsgq8lRzZT7ZeVaCNxUe1lnoI59fJvYKIcuNSa1hqwqdzy3PMc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0jNGHMilNMvgWR-Uefl1HG-8zvQ2ysVN8mUcJxf635X9zwAQybTxBez1lZp47xX32EhyalISTcl-wlG9xzyNOisJS7UF1KRxms9pv-2j8z6jvfPKURiZKn_UfVUbk8dn03rpy9OWqk-Rsgq8lRzZT7ZeVaCNxUe1lnoI59fJvYKIcuNSa1hqwqdzy3PMc=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is where it all began. I am standing in Carmel Valley, outside the picturesque cottage in which Hank and Alice Ketcham<span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s son Dennis was supposed to be asleep but was taking his bedroom apart, making it look hurricane-stricken and causing his mother to explode, <span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>Your son is a menace!” How we have all resonated with this blonde little imp dressed in his trademark blue striped T-shirt and red dungarees, first as children and then as parents! How we have enjoyed his turning Mr Wilson<span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s life upside down, his well-intentioned but ill-timed outspokenness, his unanswerable questions, his innovative pranks and his vulnerability!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Actually, it all began when six-year-old Hank<span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s father<span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s friend drew him sketches of the cartoon characters of that time. Hank knew then, that drawing was all that he wanted to do in life. His love for drawing made him drop out of college and head to Los Angeles to draw for Walt Disney. After being rejected by Walt Disney, then being hired by Disney and later being conscripted in WW II, Hank Ketcham became a full-time freelance cartoonist working from this lovely cottage in Carmel-by-the-sea, where Alice burst into his studio shouting <span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>Your son is a menace!” Then and there he decided to create a character modelled on his son and his antics and Dennis the Menace was born - a <span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>five-an<span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>a-half” year old bundle of energy, who was too young for kindergarten and too old for the playpen.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dennis first appeared in print on the 12th of March 1951. In a year and a half, 193 newspapers in the US and 52 outside were carrying the comic strip to 30 million readers. So that Dennis the Menace stays fresh and vibrant, Hank Ketcham hired a team of gag writers to ideate and artists to help him sketch the daily and the weekly strips.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1981, he selected and trained Ron Ferdinand, a New York-based graduate of the School of Visual Arts, born in the same year as Dennis the Menace, and turned over the Sunday strip to him, retaining the daily strip with himself. In 1993, as he entered his seventies, he contemplated hiring someone to take over the daily strip from him. Marcus Hamilton, a North Carolina-based freelance cartoonist was the chosen one. Hank Ketcham trained Hamilton and handed over the daily strip to him in 1995. Ferdinand and Hamilton continue to draw the Sunday Strip and the daily strip, respectively, even today after almost three decades and are acutely conscious of the legacy they have been entrusted to carry on. In an email conversation with this writer, Ferdinand says “ Hank Ketcham was a great man and teacher. He had a wonderful sense of humour. He was very patient with us trainees. He always showed us visually what he envisioned and it was so inspirational to watch him draw.” Hamilton, who lost sight in his right eye in childhood, has a photo of Hank Ketcham on the top right-hand corner of his drawing board and believes Hank is keeping a watch on how Marcus is handling his little boy.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The real-life Dennis, sadly, has not had as happy a life as his cartoon counterpart. He was only twelve when he lost his mother to a drug overdose, diagnosed with a learning disability and shunted from one boarding school to another. Father and son drifted apart. Hank acknowledged that Dennis Ketcham had borne the brunt of the popularity of Dennis the Menace and tried to make reparations. Dennis served in the Vietnam War and lives in relative anonymity. Hank Ketcham passed away in 2001in Monterey. A committed resident of both Carmel and Monterey, he donated money to set up the Dennis the Menace Park and carried out many initiatives for artists and cartoonists. His most enduring legacy, however, remains Dennis the Menace who appears in 1000 newspapers today in over 30 languages.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Newer cartoon characters have emerged. The reading habit is becoming a casualty of video games and the internet. So, is Dennis losing a bit of his relevance? Ron Ferdinand does not think so. <span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>My daughter-in-law is a 3rd-grade teacher. Before I speak to her class she shows them all the DENNIS comic books, paperbacks, YouTube Cartoons and TV shows. By the time I come and speak the kids are very excited about DENNIS.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dennis has brought cheer to generations of parents who drew reassurance from his antics and made parenting less of a punishment. Overwhelmed mothers still shout <span class="s1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>Mayday”, and helpless fathers still throw up their hands, we have all sent our children to the corner at one time or the other, but we know that our children are not monsters, thank God! They are just loveable brats, like Dennis the Menace.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: start;"><br /></p></div>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-80883726113766132402024-01-17T10:09:00.004+05:302024-01-17T12:02:24.216+05:30The Ever After Garden<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSoH1f_QOrDFRmNbq8Rg8iXvckORDzjH9JDq8rNlj1Qj4BVMucfQyScYKbwBaDViZc_CBnFLDZM5q4eCTctZbMVcFM_zr_497E38t99Zz0dOt0jsza4a-_jEry8IEjN4Gqme8c0gF2MCSGfbevxrQ_vrHbpoGJwUXxnq-MILUsAjFcL2smo0jX9BJVhCk/s4032/IMG_0036.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSoH1f_QOrDFRmNbq8Rg8iXvckORDzjH9JDq8rNlj1Qj4BVMucfQyScYKbwBaDViZc_CBnFLDZM5q4eCTctZbMVcFM_zr_497E38t99Zz0dOt0jsza4a-_jEry8IEjN4Gqme8c0gF2MCSGfbevxrQ_vrHbpoGJwUXxnq-MILUsAjFcL2smo0jX9BJVhCk/w640-h480/IMG_0036.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ever After Garden<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Every year, for the last four years, the Ever After Garden blooms in the Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London for a month and is open to the public from 3.00 pm every evening to 9.00 pm. The proceeds from the garden go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to fund cancer research.</span></p></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhZk1fmi86sdYyDHBZIktin6lSPApdoNUTAKAhhvvUW9b9K1nJfTAfXPgGebt9gD3MRioUT7BdiVAq-U5lG8Lq5amslVcg_0RoBzFMvzhKIeZN42oh4yV0puEtOf2GxlSrWcf1q-VCfYOV6rPtiAYnWE5SKG7yKPsPjXVVuhCbi5sccUdgAcwl9HxV1cX/s4032/IMG_4332.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhZk1fmi86sdYyDHBZIktin6lSPApdoNUTAKAhhvvUW9b9K1nJfTAfXPgGebt9gD3MRioUT7BdiVAq-U5lG8Lq5amslVcg_0RoBzFMvzhKIeZN42oh4yV0puEtOf2GxlSrWcf1q-VCfYOV6rPtiAYnWE5SKG7yKPsPjXVVuhCbi5sccUdgAcwl9HxV1cX/w640-h480/IMG_4332.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The brainchild of designer Anya Hindmarch CBE, the garden is an opportunity to remember and honour the memory of a loved one by dedicating an illuminated rose in their name. When her dear friend Michael Howells passed away, she wanted him to be remembered in a way that would honour his life and work. Howells was an Art Designer who worked across film, theatre, television and fashion. Apart from helming the Art Direction for notable films like Nanny McPhee, Emma and Shackleton, he designed for the biggest names in fashion like Christian Dior, Burberry and Dolce and Gabbana, curated many art exhibitions and collaborated on famous advertising campaigns. He left an immense body of exemplary work across various art forms, when he succumbed to cancer. Camilla Morton, a London based fashion writer associated with Vogue, and a dear friend of Howells joined hands with Anya Hindmarch to commemorate Howells life and work and the Ever After Garden was born in 2019 - named after the film Ever After for which Howells had done the art direction.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The garden consists of rows and rows of long stemmed white roses installed on the ground and illuminated with a small bulb in its centre. Visitors can dedicate a rose with a hand written message to, or about, a loved one who is no more. This message is placed at the bottom of each rose for a sum of £10. The proceeds from the garden are donated to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity for Cancer Research. Since its inception, the garden has contributed more than £450,000 towards the Charity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGdJuKfJBkbYyFAYZ7KJMSSrYtaZFf7j1drJPuXWuMxkVdpp6Uc7D8MLwfeMT-w4THaBwsYXT89q_0geia-_JLSEOrro8eqYM0SJXEavDAesAnQwcxi73zx6RxKeC7IYAlgbD4Ir_Wt6lOu3SUBduGuVMJsyWgeSiqaWv0f4FS6eJ84uTTO7sdhMWHLiX/s4032/IMG_0030.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGdJuKfJBkbYyFAYZ7KJMSSrYtaZFf7j1drJPuXWuMxkVdpp6Uc7D8MLwfeMT-w4THaBwsYXT89q_0geia-_JLSEOrro8eqYM0SJXEavDAesAnQwcxi73zx6RxKeC7IYAlgbD4Ir_Wt6lOu3SUBduGuVMJsyWgeSiqaWv0f4FS6eJ84uTTO7sdhMWHLiX/w640-h480/IMG_0030.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">,</div>In the dark winter night, hidden away in the centre of Mayfair and surrounded by buildings, columns and corniches bathed in golden hues, the rows and rows of roses create an aura of beauty and tranquility. The roses are beautifully crafted in silk and the lights are cleverly concealed without giving even a whiff of doubt that they are not real ones. Touching messages written to fathers, mothers, siblings, grandparents and friends who are no more, sit quietly at the base of each stem.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86okIFoYLgajY_j6ibXYH9VveQcZVH8HmSaV8Bs0lt67bAk0r0aqCr697dcET_EjuF18EmBalWvu54kcblcxvCZUuVNhc-LQMIjDe4AQ4dxGgYaEVjm6QQKBei42e7wf_4iaos1DhgRBeDAN1Mgf5CLCbG4rHFJpljOd5G48BxHGquqBWtubHLqc_dWyz/s1024/f28bad2c-df36-494e-a082-f6325160c0f4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86okIFoYLgajY_j6ibXYH9VveQcZVH8HmSaV8Bs0lt67bAk0r0aqCr697dcET_EjuF18EmBalWvu54kcblcxvCZUuVNhc-LQMIjDe4AQ4dxGgYaEVjm6QQKBei42e7wf_4iaos1DhgRBeDAN1Mgf5CLCbG4rHFJpljOd5G48BxHGquqBWtubHLqc_dWyz/w480-h640/f28bad2c-df36-494e-a082-f6325160c0f4.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memories etched on stone</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br />A triumph of creativity, precision and aesthetics, the Ever After Garden is quite ethereal. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It is a beautiful garden that honours a beautiful sentiment.</div><p></p>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-26120725569012474092023-03-31T18:52:00.001+05:302023-03-31T18:52:21.227+05:30Edinburgh's Camera Obscura and World of Illusions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYI3lN5uwUFOdLU1GVxTw6zswwWtFeq7YJxJpRj7Upxa2hNMNIzoH8ShD8K6oEgFVMPis3mXSYGMrx1jbVhyZQugovAO2VnLRe1OGftWucrSDETRm59wx7xkmmFRcV1qUkEpDUl2UINs-hRfvF1OXXSVg2MbWXiWGwxqkmpCg6AWk7PwGULNFjpq70Q/s4032/7EA3EE29-AB40-4592-B761-C9455CF46E35.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYI3lN5uwUFOdLU1GVxTw6zswwWtFeq7YJxJpRj7Upxa2hNMNIzoH8ShD8K6oEgFVMPis3mXSYGMrx1jbVhyZQugovAO2VnLRe1OGftWucrSDETRm59wx7xkmmFRcV1qUkEpDUl2UINs-hRfvF1OXXSVg2MbWXiWGwxqkmpCg6AWk7PwGULNFjpq70Q/w300-h400/7EA3EE29-AB40-4592-B761-C9455CF46E35.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Edinburgh's Camera Obscura is in a very obscure corner, alright. Stashed away in a nondescript building, just outside the Edinburgh Castle, right at the end of the iconic Royal Mile, is a small entrance on the left. The entrance is </span><span style="color: black;">easily missed, thanks to the Headless Man just outside and the Bagpiper who keeps shouting you out of the way. </span>Once you get past these distractions, you enter Outlook Tower, a narrow long tower that houses six floors of the most interesting optical illusions and the Camera Obscura right at the top of the Tower.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ-ZykzwqqUxFt83xP9kzHJBKxuhnx549QkMVE_3zJpp3uJ0bqfQWaXOf7YJES5StNec3ssuZVDL6VJ2N4vc8khsel-YF_A1WNQ0ZlqU7Bo2AK7Co4DHcDcsj9z89qN1O7O9KH56EumA9wgs4F9jF1aHXGRU9B5VhpVvcDg5FVFAP-N-ix5XaHp_qZw/s4032/C8E45230-307C-485F-8286-4D5A1A296024.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ-ZykzwqqUxFt83xP9kzHJBKxuhnx549QkMVE_3zJpp3uJ0bqfQWaXOf7YJES5StNec3ssuZVDL6VJ2N4vc8khsel-YF_A1WNQ0ZlqU7Bo2AK7Co4DHcDcsj9z89qN1O7O9KH56EumA9wgs4F9jF1aHXGRU9B5VhpVvcDg5FVFAP-N-ix5XaHp_qZw/w300-h400/C8E45230-307C-485F-8286-4D5A1A296024.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The brainchild of a clever entrepreneur, Maria Theresa Short, Camera Obscura was actually put together by her father Thomas Short who was an instrument maker from Edinburgh. Thomas Short built a museum which housed a huge reflection telescope and the other quirky optical and optometric instruments. The museum quickly became popular with the locals. However, when he died, his wife and daughters could not run it because his lease stipulated that female members of his family cannot inherit the building and its contents. Maria Thomas came back in 1825 and reclaimed the Museum. Undeterred by the patriarchy, she added the Camera Obscura and a variety of mind-boggling devices to the existing collection and opened the Short's Popular Observatory. Today, the Camera Obscura houses over 100 interactive exhibits and mind bending illusions, puzzles and tunnels</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;">The Camera Obscura which is Latin for ‘The Dark Chamber’</span><span style="text-align: start;">, is widely regarded as the ancestor of the present day camera. The Chinese are said to have built one as early as 470 BC. Aristotle is said to have used it to study Solar Eclipses during his lifetime between (384 - 322 BC). The Camera Obscura</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;">is a darkened room with a small hole or lens,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;">at one side or top through which an</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"> image</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;">is</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"> projected</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;">onto a table </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;">or wall, that is placed opposite to or under</span><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span> the hole. This branch of physics has always been beyond my comprehension. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEies0N8CLQKzTrtXZv8CWPv1a3ZOjim9cJAv8QRdk5U2-ehFIGxMxhM91dtw1giFOFPd0nC-Pm8FLxbT6KyGLcKfKJHdIRF9m_A-GqwSpmxko0ue55MEo1Il1GwzESq_xZPKDSEbyyQUrJBQzHyu4I9pUFUgl1YV2MLcheR0GkquCWKnT8lx0OVm_y91Q/w300-h400/70225F8A-61D9-40C2-9F61-EA63307BABAE.jpeg" width="300" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Edinburgh City from the Outlook Tower</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span>So let me dwell on the magic that the Camera Obscura at Outlook Tower creates. At the end of a long climb on a narrow stairway, we come to the terrace that is defined by a circular white structure with a prominent dome. A very sprightly guide shepherds us into this white circular building and into a dark room with a huge circular table at the centre, right below the white dome. He tells us to focus on the table after requesting all mobiles to be switched off so </span></span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; text-align: start;"><span>the room is pitch dark. Suddenly, the table lights up and the entire vista of the pavement outside the Outlook Tower and the Edinburgh Castle is visible on it</span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; text-align: start;"><span> and in colour too. People walking about, tourists buying tickets and even the Headless Man and the Bagpiper. Those good at Physics will no doubt understand the science behind it, to the rest of us it is magical. The guide invites us to scoop up the lady in blue or swat the man loitering aimlessly and even poke our hand into the vacant space on the Headless man. </span></span><span style="color: #202122; text-align: start;">Its great fun</span><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This strange show is not the only interesting thing at Camera Obscura on Castle Hill. There is the Magic Gallery, a floor full of magical illusions designed to flummox the brain. Some of these are classic illusions, some are very unique and some are very naughty! Then there are Plasma Tubes and Globes that electrify your fingers at a touch and mind-bending mirrors confuse your brain. There are tricks where you can shake hands with yourself and swap noses and faces with your companion. And the Shadow Box that enables you to capture your own shadow - quite a clever piece of work. At the Ames Room, you can shrink in size and move across to gain height enough to touch the ceiling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmN5t_OAdZUcB2jFXeS5cCDx_BsWv8JBGG8lb1QjYnmU9oR9TFHceUaKXVbT7odbphLH5ZlZjj1SiFSvc8LV-CRvltEz1TFPJ2dXwU647qUE6bFaPw-xji9chW7JxVAhZmgQNeaOa8wi0dVX7UDOIUwwjOd_sd9jfZDfj91K7dAgAcupE_dYrXhAozg/w240-h320/D72D57B8-F773-43D7-AFAB-27C101670398.jpeg" width="240" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmZ9OgAtwq1vlbPryRgFPBE7eICfnB29oHlblxNAK_Sq8X2ghf-3zUlg7ZUDm26JancuwjmLNS92wkM-biX2wE2wX7Y_oYV1OBxjvoKLj9rKHI9I3Qgzy6K0psqx_cIDgvcPN53FOTh04_T8Uh1cRhwnrGICiiipLqp7xZcvm7VL57ZzhkeLMLuFlsQ/w240-h320/5A1557B0-4125-40B4-BBBC-5A56DF282D97.jpeg" width="240" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Some Naughty, Some Classic and Other Unique Illusions</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Xi-VGQQkv-c4zy31N-k5H1DYkGNzA95qQBqk4HzPFs6IB5hQbaolwW2G2W1m8oP7J4k9NUKP51w_YrzUbbmJhiQWHyis0dGgyHyEk0rdmn1ob1OAw1_7SQ7J36cOAsi-SwSFUWvH0siKO_dCjDaNd0_cTBBBiFrleQ5VWlnrRGh6VJFt8sBxvmyR_w/w240-h320/20657032-0CCD-4972-819B-6C2E055C40BC.jpeg" width="240" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUKf0DhPer9GsAIQXW7nSDm1pqudgS1_WDhJq1omP6GY5NaI9gxuhhqSM1KKzTZjLcHrhrmD9sCP3hGaEP3LH3WIz3Q17-9Emmcd5_S9UwRDjW4s_Wr1FyFU3YgxpBWZwGBVsbnDlWb0SryYSnuKk2WvAr7whKm5kk-D7Jh94W3yRxZOra2zOdsBQNQ/s4032/E212D839-06CC-4EF0-9C64-1324E6F62835.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUKf0DhPer9GsAIQXW7nSDm1pqudgS1_WDhJq1omP6GY5NaI9gxuhhqSM1KKzTZjLcHrhrmD9sCP3hGaEP3LH3WIz3Q17-9Emmcd5_S9UwRDjW4s_Wr1FyFU3YgxpBWZwGBVsbnDlWb0SryYSnuKk2WvAr7whKm5kk-D7Jh94W3yRxZOra2zOdsBQNQ/w240-h320/E212D839-06CC-4EF0-9C64-1324E6F62835.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBI_N_pRBCSP2q7zb69JtIyztmpHLxmoX-3CFia4-OkktwVPcbHtYuVPmPCgf__8Nn6fHsplbAH5AZt2DGJXXBYo_tV-Fyum-1hF9mPW_htjXJqdU1tpCqMltKxFmLn66g7cvGCJ59pZRr5kgXI4E1P70KYU5abkChxMBc_aINFllQIE7bFb4O154mtw/w320-h240/4E40EE04-4A57-49AB-9E85-699D14497B22.jpeg" width="320" /> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For those who like the macabre there is Horror. Don't miss out on scary photos from the old family album found in the attic. Or you can have your head served for dinner at The Severed Head. After all this you may want to run away, so you try to open the door to the Ladder to Australia which carries the No Entry sign. And when you find there is no door, you succumb to the sheer comic relief.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy-MOdOm77JzGV-Bb-iHGUZYlKsz7yctrKsWhM_PHWXEYNPejI7oT7wXCQFb1eEyEuiesma5ic9PMrrxHDKbYeBZUFlV0l1TEsK1KacyeIkwEugPyauimQ7OV6D6IAfrIDn1_dJaB2kaNLXyDbWARqRn-u6TJbKbbqbNfHB1YvIdVd0R3dAZyveuBsQ/s320/5D67CC07-856F-4015-A4D9-C25AE4502D00.jpeg" width="320" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXtjgR83BV31LDG7-K-YKDfQFlJY2PHs_nRPoUESc7tCumNoVCpHbMMlKQuUdokhOzHab9tygBqVLQ0XX57tF9HEFus-TDssr0-ONeGeRK1AI_vUrVNbuzvdhhjfoEJzk9dgb9fLFaC1VaXvcUCv_PdZ6CSClCytUpweqnQx0FyyLXc64WcYFuJFvXw/w240-h242/E94DF893-E1B0-435B-9AE0-57F421FE6466.jpeg" width="240" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Finally, there is the Bewilderworld, where you will find the most maddening mirror maze. This one is really not for the faint-hearted or the claustrophobic. Made from just placing mirrors at various angles, this is one seamless sheet of glass, halfway through which, even the strongest will panic. You stumble out of the Mirror Maze only to enter the Vortex Tunnel. A riot of changing colours bursts intermittently in a tunnel that is moving and swaying all the while. Or are you losing a step? The Vortex Tunnel is not as scary as the Mirror Maze but it can be very disorienting. But is that not part of the fun! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-MhfnmxCnX4sGYaMpmmTMGeIan78gvlAg1SwX_YvlnKpw6QqVkWyQnnZILCvth5Jb3Sjww4y0TTTZeCjKuPRp2uOJxO6axuLk9XjyCRusd-xkT2NBQpJUPx7H40J3R6IO9a73Iv3MCH98BW4wFsy25QaWYjIEKeWlTZQYgH_wVldUN0PN4ud9iKrVQ/w300-h319/EFBFCCAE-555E-4531-915E-8944C2C4A556.jpeg" width="300" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DhJ40E_H2pCL40oBrRD5ZuarkX-mYgXPBWEW4Gc21fEBqSiY_I8IcEVkUbk66jHCVaIiWjanMRNuLd1JQcZGLCh1K-9Tj8pTxO0aCMlgw25lkgD-YvL0uyICbe_JHKNQcHV197Jm0y8QmR523blSAs6KtkhM0amsihGCToO0LKyKmcwHeoPkSlMg_Q/s4032/7E24DCAA-6790-473A-9CA1-8D10970546CF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DhJ40E_H2pCL40oBrRD5ZuarkX-mYgXPBWEW4Gc21fEBqSiY_I8IcEVkUbk66jHCVaIiWjanMRNuLd1JQcZGLCh1K-9Tj8pTxO0aCMlgw25lkgD-YvL0uyICbe_JHKNQcHV197Jm0y8QmR523blSAs6KtkhM0amsihGCToO0LKyKmcwHeoPkSlMg_Q/s320/7E24DCAA-6790-473A-9CA1-8D10970546CF.jpeg" width="240" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> The Vortex Tunnel at Bewilderworld</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> And as you move to the exit and you play Do Re Mi on the staircase with every step, there is a feeling that it is all over too soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>I find many surprised visitors going back to each floor and doing it all again - a pleasure I had to forego for want of time. The reluctant publicity given to Camera Obscura and the obscurity of Outlook Tower causes most visitors to assign, not more than half an hour, many times as an after-thought to the Edinburgh Castle Tour. But nothing could be more wrong. In reality</span>, a full exploration of the Camera Obscura takes anywhere between two and three most rewarding hours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So, let the Crown Jewels at the Castle and let the Whiskey Tour wait. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Go and shake hands with yourself!</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> </span><p></p>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-73202440594429527152022-10-03T09:20:00.000+05:302022-10-03T09:20:11.551+05:30Udupi 2.0 and Other Malnad Musings<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Ecx__HGf2u3oDU-2Fm5ALOyKbYb2ZM-9PknFUtykOL41rHKkatwnsnqvMB6Lch-cRaZuQB0mEyP5CnYEXmuQxitI_DOOoaVN7rDxx6_p0u7qoWg0xXRlKsUZr1pdRJDTimxqvBxDiTvatDu9DthYZA4Y6okXD0rDKtWHAiyTKgXzpthSjULO6cYcw/s4032/05E4770E-8337-487A-BC05-5CD2FC9112CE.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Ecx__HGf2u3oDU-2Fm5ALOyKbYb2ZM-9PknFUtykOL41rHKkatwnsnqvMB6Lch-cRaZuQB0mEyP5CnYEXmuQxitI_DOOoaVN7rDxx6_p0u7qoWg0xXRlKsUZr1pdRJDTimxqvBxDiTvatDu9DthYZA4Y6okXD0rDKtWHAiyTKgXzpthSjULO6cYcw/w640-h480/05E4770E-8337-487A-BC05-5CD2FC9112CE.heic" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">For years, Udupi has been the base for our trips to the temples of South Canara. Uncluttered and peaceful, this little town has always wrapped us in a comforting blanket of hot food and a soft bed after jostling temple crowds.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Recently, we decided to take a longer time for the temple circuit and discovered that Udupi has all the ingredients of a pleasant getaway.</span></span></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>The eight and a half hour drive from Bangalore to Udu</span><span>pi used to be a stressful chore, with endless hours of agonising whether to go via Shiradi Ghat and risk LPG cylinders sliding off the lorries on to our bonnet or take the Charmadi Ghat and pray that we don’t have a puncture on the craters. We choose Charmadi, but this time, we fortify ourselves with an overnight halt at Chikmagalur, but surprisingly, the ghat road is very good. Charmadi Ghat is a delight, in any season and more so now in monsoon with the clouds on the ground and greenery freshly bathed. Waterfalls tumble off dark mountains, weave through carpets of green and stop just short of the road, their sound building up the anticipation in every motorist much before they are sighted. Much has been said and written about the Monsoon magic of the Malnad Ghats and all of it fails to do justice. It can be scary with landslides and accidents but with some intelligent planning, this drive should be on every bucket list. We leave Charmadi reluctantly after any number of stops to soak in the beauty, pass through small hamlets with onomatopoeic wonders for names like Kajarapalke and Bajagoli and enter Udupi at its beautiful signature Arch. </span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2094" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKQjR4JgoOQ5BvqJFVUJ-twrCsfN2DwkdvtfJ1o2dmli3H_5RPdVf__lmZhvqYgxzedt2mMgkxe57NS_EfmJ4d8yldPWjAfwyxZtBIzZ8yJzouTnvKHXdDBC5jAAnBMECOqGj-poDRxO96P-N-ksM_QRt8vLmZMXCW13yzIvYCZf1SIsRwSyUeXHHWA/w640-h510/50B2E1E9-F9C2-4780-8AFB-88DA9A373FC9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); color: #0000ee; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" width="640" /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Udupi, today, is known solely for the Krishna temple which was established by Madhvacharya in the 13th century. The deity, a small idol of Little Krishna is viewed through a small window and leaves one wanting more. The queue is lighter early in the morning or at four in the evening, so timing the visit then, enables a quick second glimpse. Udupi has, however, existed from much earlier, as evidenced by the Chandramouleeswar (Shiva) Temple. Located right opposite the Krishna Temple, most non-locals miss this temple due to its small and nondescript entrance. Legend has it that Chandra, the Moon God was cursed by Daksha, his father-in-law, due to which he lost his lustre and power. Chandra is then said to have prayed to Shiva for releasing him of the curse at this Chandramouleeswara temple. Shiva restored the lustre and shine of the Moon God and this place came to be named after Chandra who is the leader(Pa) of the Stars (Udu). Perpendicular to the Krishna temple lies the Ananteswara temple, also devoted to lord Shiva and believed to be one of the oldest temples of the Tulu region. This triumvirate forms the daily circuit of many a local.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZ-D0cphS_UKyDxp60e-RY3pw4v1Qq1928-4aCn34DR2EAalM2EnFCz-KrX4DavtH8Dj7GiGQH75j_kkpTVeSvd7EYYGW-Lg-2bf1bbbIAaIC4HicK4Ax90JS_ZV1BO0vC19dn-Ih-4d_If7u7bl5bAEmRCxJyLNEx_7rITb9ujurjV-FNs9cDbrpEQ/w640-h480/0ED43054-DA31-4C5E-B18B-B98B3C5C30A3.heic" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); color: #0000ee; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" width="640" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There is more on offer, right here on this street. Around the Krishna temple are beautiful structures that house the Ashta(Eight) Mathas, each one embellished most tastefully with motifs and materials that reflect the Malnad region. Many house owners have been inspired to replicate the intricate woodwork and pillars in their villas. Moving further in the temporal realm, no visit to Udupi can be complete without the famous Goli Baje and Mangalore buns. The old reliable, Woodlands Hotel, is a personal favourite for these but the iconic Mitra Samaj (since 1949), just around the temple, is a close contender.</span></div><div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObygZfUuaMKozCL3QEw5PeuJrJSO67aNmC-SgFjSER0isZATKwiXX0XDkvufh_OooXFn1mApn60pZ_lMKYSu93bmW5j-XbNbzEFmVJDKYL4O3PoOs8FCOe5e8VYTr-1mZl-TRCbNQj6TCSK0omICnXKORuToeRNTUVMcMYwePCMziBJJUh55CE3s3og/s4032/FA1A36BA-9BA1-4AC0-AE6F-3EE10A5C0907.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObygZfUuaMKozCL3QEw5PeuJrJSO67aNmC-SgFjSER0isZATKwiXX0XDkvufh_OooXFn1mApn60pZ_lMKYSu93bmW5j-XbNbzEFmVJDKYL4O3PoOs8FCOe5e8VYTr-1mZl-TRCbNQj6TCSK0omICnXKORuToeRNTUVMcMYwePCMziBJJUh55CE3s3og/w480-h640/FA1A36BA-9BA1-4AC0-AE6F-3EE10A5C0907.heic" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For a bit of adventure, there is the drive from Udupi to Sringeri through the Agumbe Ghats. The fourteen hair pin bends on this Ghat evoke both fear and joy together. A gasp of relief in clearing one hairpin bend, a shriek at the on-coming bus that seems to cover the entire road pushing you to the outer periphery of the sheer drop and the peace from the ageless green hills around - one cannot but help feeling close to the Divine, the Force or the Elements - whatever one chooses to call it. Agumbe is also a designated UNESCO Heritage Site with some bespoke trekking trails.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8ibnyEvvdf8XP71Tw81mEGZ_AEFim4QFIvKKXr0fI653rM4od3FTDe8sb-BzGiqSzHrhphZV1UVBPus3JiUGrDFQjm4AY4EqXEq_gotkXxGdqONnqk5nEFYPmXI1TdDzCdkqY23UuWYnbDka4T5QESxNlup7xc2cC2n7RDPR97s4d8YU09bxI6EwRg/s4032/036319A1-1847-4610-9E5B-EC968A92A740.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8ibnyEvvdf8XP71Tw81mEGZ_AEFim4QFIvKKXr0fI653rM4od3FTDe8sb-BzGiqSzHrhphZV1UVBPus3JiUGrDFQjm4AY4EqXEq_gotkXxGdqONnqk5nEFYPmXI1TdDzCdkqY23UuWYnbDka4T5QESxNlup7xc2cC2n7RDPR97s4d8YU09bxI6EwRg/w640-h480/036319A1-1847-4610-9E5B-EC968A92A740.heic" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>One yearns for the solidity of Terra Firma after this drive and the beaches around Udupi are most welcome. While Malpe and Kaup and Maravanthe beaches are well known, Mattu Beach is relatively undiscovered. We follow Google Maps and reach it by crossing an ancient looking, narrow bridge with a width for just one vehicle. Barring the residents around the area, Mattu Beach has few visitors and is an ideal foil to the adrenaline rush of the ghats. A quiet hour and a half of watching the sea and hearing the conversation between the waves and the wind, is pure food for the soul. Malpe Beach with its stylish Sea Walk is good too, if you don’t mind a bit of a crowd. One needs to watch out, though, for touts who pop up suddenly asking for parking charges and road usage fees. Lining the roads from the beaches are brightly lit shops selling fish delicacies - after all you are in a coastal city. They must be good if the crowds around them are anything to go by</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></span></div><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqhYUesO-y7oFZNsSKrKUJfNj4IfKyNW4UGa57VBUJH5PVmDE2xVYYF8OnNqxEPKO3Ef7j6n4jcq0fVolmo7tC8uk8cYEktK0rUpuu_9YtUe1rDwa4WQQ_6n2bCUd831TicxF4BvECAKv-zT-Hq3DrUY8r-zWtB33zR2duI0LfTEMoTtTcSf-an5F8A/s2224/D7BFD1EE-72F0-4403-9368-368C7E961005_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2224" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqhYUesO-y7oFZNsSKrKUJfNj4IfKyNW4UGa57VBUJH5PVmDE2xVYYF8OnNqxEPKO3Ef7j6n4jcq0fVolmo7tC8uk8cYEktK0rUpuu_9YtUe1rDwa4WQQ_6n2bCUd831TicxF4BvECAKv-zT-Hq3DrUY8r-zWtB33zR2duI0LfTEMoTtTcSf-an5F8A/w640-h416/D7BFD1EE-72F0-4403-9368-368C7E961005_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The good thing about South Canara is that there is always more than one road to get to your destination and losing one’s way countless times, over two and a half decades, has thrown up some very attractive alternate routes. We return to Bangalore by one such route via the Kudremukh National Park and Chikmagalur. This route, for only an additional half hour, is free of both the Ghats. The thirty -five kilometre drive, through Kudremukha National Park, on wonderful roads through pristine forests with only the occasional vehicle for company, is a treat. Myriad shades of green, rare flowers and any number of ferns, make it seem like New Zealand. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, The Kudremukh National Park also offers moderate to difficult treks and bird watching safaris since it is home to diverse wildlife. We spot a huge gaur, expertly camouflaged against the bark of a tree, in magnificent repose, with its sharp horns forming a perfect arc above its forehead. Black faced langurs, frisky calves, and birds of various hues and shades, hold out the promise of more sightings, but the drive is over all too soon.</span><p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">From scenic drives through lofty mountains to expansive beaches, spiritual interludes and gastronomic capers, Udupi and its environs, right here in the backyard, has it all.</span></p></div>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-56784768391820806352022-03-26T10:41:00.004+05:302023-11-17T04:10:30.834+05:30 Fatehpur Sikri - Move Over Taj Mahal !<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKrSytfdZ-C9To4_ytGvWwyd01ZOCm23u_JC0G7gMDdx0wDI-U3JIVIlG_W6MHaU1r23BqICsfDUa7S-6oSQnkVMh588yxgEpnxWq4HSftnACSnfbnuT6SoD0DowKWhdjZS3p_uGYnkeT4RyA7HabO7QvzaBATZK1PnRgFGubRolDY-VH2VmWLJ6w8QQ=s1280" style="font-family: times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKrSytfdZ-C9To4_ytGvWwyd01ZOCm23u_JC0G7gMDdx0wDI-U3JIVIlG_W6MHaU1r23BqICsfDUa7S-6oSQnkVMh588yxgEpnxWq4HSftnACSnfbnuT6SoD0DowKWhdjZS3p_uGYnkeT4RyA7HabO7QvzaBATZK1PnRgFGubRolDY-VH2VmWLJ6w8QQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></span></a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">“Why would you skip the Taj Mahal and visit a comparatively lesser-known
monument!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">”Visit the Agra fort at least!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: medium;">I had given the Taj Mahal a miss and chosen to spend a day at Fatehpur
Sikri and not many understood why.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">Just 40 kilometres and half-an-hour from the Taj Mahal in Agra </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">is a far more interesting experience - Fatehpur Sikri.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: medium;">Although it attracts a mere fraction of the footfalls that the Taj
Mahal does and looks quite deserted in comparison, Fatehpur Sikri symbolises a
living good. If Taj Mahal is a tribute to a deceased beloved, Fatehpur Sikri speaks
of the happy and vibrant times spent with a favourite consort. While the Taj Mahal
is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Fatehpur Sikri is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and in equally august company.</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">Built in 1579, Fatehpur Sikri has a much older and more significant history
than most other monuments. Archaeological excavations point to habitation in the region from as early as the 12th Century by Shikarwar Rajputs (hence the name Sikri) and rulers of the Sungha Dynasty.
Babur conquered the region in 1527 after defeating Rana Sangha (the Rajput
ruler of the time) and built a beautiful garden here to commemorate the victory. </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">At that point Babur was also aching for a tranquil place to escape the confusion and chaos of Agra, from where he ruled. Sikri, with its greenery and abundant ground water, was exactly that. Babur promptly added some more gardens and built a beautiful lake (which he named Sukri meaning thanks), and made </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">Fatehpur Sikri</span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"> an oasis away from the seat of governance at Agra.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">The Fatehpur Sikri as we know it today however owes its existence to
Akbar.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">Akbar ascended the throne in 1556 and carried out several victorious
campaigns, expanding the Mughal footprint in India. Yet he was unhappy because
he was without an heir. Distraught, he came to seek the blessings and counsel
of the Sufi Saint Salim Chisti who lived in Sikri. Chisti blessed
Akbar that he would have an heir very soon. Sure enough, Akbar's favourite
consort, Jodha Bai, the daughter of Raja Bharmel of Amer
(Jaipur) gave birth to a baby boy in 1569. An ecstatic Akbar named
his first born Salim (after the Saint), and ordered for an entire city to
be built around Chisti's dwelling. He called the new city Fatehpur Sikri, a
name that celebrated his victorious (Fateh) campaigns.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: medium;">No longer the ruthless 13 year-old who ascended the throne mid-battle or the furious commander who slayed thousands of non-combatants, Akbar had now mellowed. He embarked on a journey of creating a harmonious society which was based on a staunch respect for diversity; Fatephur Sikri was the expression of this new, extremely well-informed and tolerant Emperor.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMsOvO2M4gb7dcApPs3ctmzTQocOI_6z7bL1CrEGUXlrzJRdZFQpWaRsQlq-TdJVj5tvTt377eE75Go9kAPQhIUPoMEp4xaIHXFqIt2C0teL5IUPeNTX-5-oeUUdEghRUneIWsh-HhfggdgcNGg_z62_LVTIzj8GeVH7I7C-Pm8VWbz32KDEkmNjzEQ/s1280/DSC03850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMsOvO2M4gb7dcApPs3ctmzTQocOI_6z7bL1CrEGUXlrzJRdZFQpWaRsQlq-TdJVj5tvTt377eE75Go9kAPQhIUPoMEp4xaIHXFqIt2C0teL5IUPeNTX-5-oeUUdEghRUneIWsh-HhfggdgcNGg_z62_LVTIzj8GeVH7I7C-Pm8VWbz32KDEkmNjzEQ/w640-h480/DSC03850.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; line-height: 115%;"> <span> <span> </span></span>Akbar's Raised Bedstead</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">Every building within the ramparts of Fatehpur Sikri is built with
forethought and intelligence. For instance, Akbar's strongest peeve was that he
was short. While he had a towering presence, he could never have a towering
height. So he ordered his bedstead to be a raised platform from where he could
see what went on around him. Accessed by four small steps, it would certainly give
its occupant a sense of power.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4BSPtIdnKPYge2LNPfOB2lJABWSOTADk111_bTA86nfVmOUsF_z45_SMn_e-Te1NgP3w_K37AyZaFUMFg-JIM0gp1hwOJOsHbS-8KwH7RYWg_R6NlBfJopo_aAvySH-ys3IxvGrrCT5DaIS_7v6AMG3pQxFRRWL7eYsSgMO8YuHw5praMBPdCKjcMw/s1280/DSC03845.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4BSPtIdnKPYge2LNPfOB2lJABWSOTADk111_bTA86nfVmOUsF_z45_SMn_e-Te1NgP3w_K37AyZaFUMFg-JIM0gp1hwOJOsHbS-8KwH7RYWg_R6NlBfJopo_aAvySH-ys3IxvGrrCT5DaIS_7v6AMG3pQxFRRWL7eYsSgMO8YuHw5praMBPdCKjcMw/w640-h480/DSC03845.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span>The Anup Talao</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">This bedroom, which
was called Khwabgah or House of Dreams, was constructed opposite the Anup
Talao, an ornate lake-like structure, with a square podium at its centre, on
which Tansen, the legendary musician of Akbar's court, would sit and sing. Akbar's
bedstead stands at the level of this podium so that he could wake up
to the beauty of the Anup Talao and the melody of Tansen's music. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa1zwTsgycUtVzi-X5j51hOZxkZRZNduHLxG9FL8x-Deyqz-EJo88Dx_AgoLUMhEzvwGFgMduk9racqL6ENqj_GtwwmM6VeEC8IElZgtyrsp34VOAgubNoxIgR4orQQ8IoGFDk4Q4LgvaKgs_Cu43GNSa725xGKxkjSTj8Y-wyRKw35KkaecDPkX5dg/s1280/DSC03847.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa1zwTsgycUtVzi-X5j51hOZxkZRZNduHLxG9FL8x-Deyqz-EJo88Dx_AgoLUMhEzvwGFgMduk9racqL6ENqj_GtwwmM6VeEC8IElZgtyrsp34VOAgubNoxIgR4orQQ8IoGFDk4Q4LgvaKgs_Cu43GNSa725xGKxkjSTj8Y-wyRKw35KkaecDPkX5dg/w640-h480/DSC03847.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";"> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>The Diwan-E-Khas<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span>Akbar conducted the day's business from the Diwan-E-Khas. W</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">ith its four marble white domes and intricately sculpted interiors, the Diwan -E-Khas incorporates both Persian and Indian influences, articulating Akbar's mood of inclusiveness at that time. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltMWCf-UFmN5qKeN3pn1KM4DALcHNHmGCDyPMnLRDvbMDW8WDfJlehAN_Onx6_0glVzMecCwtIzVeGrrbZOzKjO7LLRFbAeXRsGtDIsbMKf4KUtkbOQKfoijSzZ5MX4Hf7PcZl9EJ48SUH90RABtdyLgcpPJTmbNU9DFljD-N1BN5HBznxSPziTo7vA/s1280/DSC03870.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltMWCf-UFmN5qKeN3pn1KM4DALcHNHmGCDyPMnLRDvbMDW8WDfJlehAN_Onx6_0glVzMecCwtIzVeGrrbZOzKjO7LLRFbAeXRsGtDIsbMKf4KUtkbOQKfoijSzZ5MX4Hf7PcZl9EJ48SUH90RABtdyLgcpPJTmbNU9DFljD-N1BN5HBznxSPziTo7vA/w640-h480/DSC03870.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";"> <span> <span> </span></span>The Lotus Shaped Central Pillar of the Diwan-E-Khas</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">Central to the Diwan -I-Khas is an intricately carved lotus-shaped
pillar at the centre of which is a raised throne for Akbar. A circular balcony
runs around this throne. Partitions radiating from the central pillar mark
chambers for each of his ministers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPi9bkg7l6UtythIZCl1_WhLR-2eOTDfV3uUzBU3JHnZypkCArnUAADYcMvaYWWgtgc3qL1mGLcHhdWRVpFA6TQl3WWkV2eQBAdYaDStu-JWQ_zesqx59b9qEQnX2ET31OFtSrkyUaRdgmy7z4jLB5eUtV0oVgm-LLX7erv2Z3IZPfd7GqLNyM5vEnA/s1280/DSC03862.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPi9bkg7l6UtythIZCl1_WhLR-2eOTDfV3uUzBU3JHnZypkCArnUAADYcMvaYWWgtgc3qL1mGLcHhdWRVpFA6TQl3WWkV2eQBAdYaDStu-JWQ_zesqx59b9qEQnX2ET31OFtSrkyUaRdgmy7z4jLB5eUtV0oVgm-LLX7erv2Z3IZPfd7GqLNyM5vEnA/w640-h480/DSC03862.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";"> <span> <span> </span></span>The Diwan-E-Aam</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">Populist lore has it that Jodha Bai had sensitized Akbar about the need
to be in touch with the Common Man on the ground. To do this, Akbar held
durbars where the common subjects could interact with him and voice their
grievances. This needed a larger and more open space. </span><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">So the Diwan - E - Aam was built with ample ventilation and
landscaping.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczbnRuMvc0OGjRqQmCgSLEiWrVhnt5x8hWoOHKOWs5vZlHEo0btruOe0975Zjy_2VAvixT3ILZVBfNJx80pXHGtUG5OlUbTEehRTkA-4-IhLoNEL0bMgIKysk8w2i8dNhBorwAGYbDiRH3uW9ckM8QzY2Cf2-Z-IeuvlQGJpUsTmLkHAnszjjwIfdIg/s1280/DSC03832.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczbnRuMvc0OGjRqQmCgSLEiWrVhnt5x8hWoOHKOWs5vZlHEo0btruOe0975Zjy_2VAvixT3ILZVBfNJx80pXHGtUG5OlUbTEehRTkA-4-IhLoNEL0bMgIKysk8w2i8dNhBorwAGYbDiRH3uW9ckM8QzY2Cf2-Z-IeuvlQGJpUsTmLkHAnszjjwIfdIg/w640-h480/DSC03832.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">The Ibadat Khana would be where Akbar would receive religious scholars and debate on religion and philosophy. These debates led Akbar to create a new religion Din-I-Ilahi - a faith that incorporated the best principles and practices from Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and even Christianity.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">The Pachisi Courtyard replicated the Pachisi Square Board, an
indigenous game, similar to chess. Legend has it that Akbar and Jodha Bai would
play the game with ladies-in-waiting as the coins. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDizxuJENcVcIS99-FusjJw0di__kPWB8wEAGfxjLNea_owNHzRe5alzNprP7a5xlhBUBnXmBHw1cQac2q7007sGpuaiDoIM_vuj4O3uBqzODVHiHw5VekY4w3kSYl-UlfNlEYqbPlv3DjtpyELh-_5QQ06RNvSoIHMOECoK-jg3o3mo5gCBKZNVHYQw/s1280/DSC03879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDizxuJENcVcIS99-FusjJw0di__kPWB8wEAGfxjLNea_owNHzRe5alzNprP7a5xlhBUBnXmBHw1cQac2q7007sGpuaiDoIM_vuj4O3uBqzODVHiHw5VekY4w3kSYl-UlfNlEYqbPlv3DjtpyELh-_5QQ06RNvSoIHMOECoK-jg3o3mo5gCBKZNVHYQw/w640-h480/DSC03879.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";"> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Jodha Bai's Palace</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">Jodha Bai is a big presence in Fatehpur Sikri. It is Jodha Bai's Palace
that dominates the narrative of Fatehpur Sikri. It is the largest and most
embellished structure apart from the Bulund Darwaza, Not only does it
speak of Akbar's fascination with Jodha Bai, it also symbolizes the spirit
of a feisty woman who held her own in a patriarchal world, at a time when
women were trophies won in wars or coins to trade and barter and forge
alliances. Jodha Bai was literate, well read, intelligent and beautiful. To the
illiterate Akbar, her individuality, knowledge and high self- esteem, in
holding on to her culture, her refusal to convert to Islam and her insistence
on following her own Hindu Faith and yet be a faithful and loving consort, must
have made her more intriguing, not to mention more attractive. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRoqnDB3tYIMOMkyjXmdMfgK9z8SSmk6V7XjR_4sqUdUMraFUgb9zPGkQX-irgiRZLAAUg7NZIovw8ZTbSTeEbs1DdSkEx_Wvq71AClHC9iJsGmyFeBCOG8PGfdadJVbJevUXcGic-RPX_seF4qZF5NhE-vcxI8r08JX2EO8cnRWQtE7BzktV1TAbzA/s1280/DSC03907.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRoqnDB3tYIMOMkyjXmdMfgK9z8SSmk6V7XjR_4sqUdUMraFUgb9zPGkQX-irgiRZLAAUg7NZIovw8ZTbSTeEbs1DdSkEx_Wvq71AClHC9iJsGmyFeBCOG8PGfdadJVbJevUXcGic-RPX_seF4qZF5NhE-vcxI8r08JX2EO8cnRWQtE7BzktV1TAbzA/w640-h480/DSC03907.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> <span> </span></span>The Krishna Temple that Jodha Bai Built in her Palace</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">Akbar had a special chamber built in her Palace where she could have her own temple for Lord Krishna and a planter to grow and worship the Tulsi (Basil) Plant, in accordance with the tenets of Hinduism. It is said that Akbar had even ordered the Mullahs to time their Azaan (prayer) so that it does not clash with Jodha Bai's pujas. The interiors of her palace were designed akin to her own Palace in Amer and carved with Rajput motifs. Chroniclers of Akbar's times document the fact that Akbar gave Jodha Bai the name 'Mariam -Uz - Zamani' (Mary of the Age) after she gave birth to his heir Salim. He also gave her equal authority to take decisions regarding trade governance and administrative matters because she was intelligent, capable, well read and well versed in statecraft. The power wielded by Jodha Bai over Akbar’s thinking is said to have ruffled the feathers of many Muslim Elders in his court, but Akbar was strong. Populist folklore is quick to point out that Jodha Bai was only an asset and never took advantage of Akbar’s Carte Blanche.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlUc22DRmo9K3sonYQ_THwVGzxKSHZni_GgM4Tj9TeZWkpzQpXdWyFIutlglUBgaHhQIATdl4NDAN3aRruviKc6k5CCCRWXwENP5SEiv8OaFvHkSpGrYLl6uflrOvHp-WFZxZEfS_LlKIjoQjnfjCd25I-0lDCrt192T5ROzO_ueM8HaRGxIQOYpIpA/s1280/DSC03875.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlUc22DRmo9K3sonYQ_THwVGzxKSHZni_GgM4Tj9TeZWkpzQpXdWyFIutlglUBgaHhQIATdl4NDAN3aRruviKc6k5CCCRWXwENP5SEiv8OaFvHkSpGrYLl6uflrOvHp-WFZxZEfS_LlKIjoQjnfjCd25I-0lDCrt192T5ROzO_ueM8HaRGxIQOYpIpA/w640-h480/DSC03875.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; text-align: justify;"> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Hiran Minar</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; text-align: left;">Hiran Minar tells another interesting tale. Harun was Akbar's favourite elephant. When Harun became old, Akbar could not bear the thought that he had to be retired. He made Harun his Minister of Justice. A convict would be brought to Harun during his mealtime. If Harun continued eating, the convict would be set free, if he stopped eating, then Harun would be asked to trample him. Harun was the judge, the jury and the executioner. When Harun died, Akbar is said to have given him a ceremonial burial on the grounds of Fatehpur Sikri and constructed the Hiran Minar in his memory. This tall Minar embellished with tusk-like protrusions also functioned as a light house for travellers in the dark, because there would always be a flame at the top storey.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8Kgkt3PwCmGYAh7J1VfYQksjBYNn3YqkcCk93K53kxO7k2LVz2JrmNkPULMLtH-nUR8QVTE_TEZf7Y3ki2FfAAWGmMQbNYFscITD4BlVVMHb73enf8no-MXF13bRe62CxSIk0VVcJNjAkSDt2uONrbet3dQ79BlMkGRrR3J5cIzSR7pc8Lbl62Fe4Q/s1280/DSC03824.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8Kgkt3PwCmGYAh7J1VfYQksjBYNn3YqkcCk93K53kxO7k2LVz2JrmNkPULMLtH-nUR8QVTE_TEZf7Y3ki2FfAAWGmMQbNYFscITD4BlVVMHb73enf8no-MXF13bRe62CxSIk0VVcJNjAkSDt2uONrbet3dQ79BlMkGRrR3J5cIzSR7pc8Lbl62Fe4Q/w640-h480/DSC03824.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; text-align: left;"> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Bulund Darwaza</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; text-align: left;">And finally, there is the Bulund Darwaza - the tallest Gateway in the World. Built in 1602 to commemorate Akbar's conquest of Gujarat, the Bulund Darwaza, in red and buff sandstone, scales a height of 40 metres and stands 54 metres from the ground. Forty two steps lead up to it and right away, the Bulund Darwaza conveys a sense of strength and power (symbolic of Akbar's conquest, perhaps). Intricate designs in black and white marble embedded in the Red Sandstone enhance the aesthetic effect, but it stands firmly rooted in spirituality and forms one entrance to the Grand Mosque, the Jama Masjid. Again Akbar's mission of inclusivity finds expression in the inscription on the main gateway written in Persian that speaks of Isa (Jesus), son of Mary.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif";">Akbar lived in Fatehpur Sikri from 1571 to 1585, when he was forced to abandon it due to acute water shortage. There is a also a theory which says that Akbar left Fatehpur Sikri after the death of Salim Chisti, because he was tired of it and there was nothing to hold him back. Still, the fact remains that Fatehpur Sikri is a testimony of a period of growth and prosperity. Whether it is the post office - a room with cubicles in the wall for pigeons that carried messages to rest after long flights, or the Panch Mahal that is a unique five storied structure, with no walls, but only pillars, where the ladies of Akbar's harem spent happy times or Birbal's house which makes you smile as you remember his witty cleverness, every structure here tells a story. It is not a mausoleum in cold white marble after building which, the artisans' hands were cut off. It is a celebration of the business of living. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">I have never regretted the entire day I spent at Fatehpur Sikri. </span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;">A tip - Invest in a good guide; it makes all the difference to your time spent at Fatehpur Sikri. </span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, "serif"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-36035506003279337912022-02-06T09:58:00.002+05:302022-02-16T21:45:47.895+05:30Lata Mangeshkar- Maa Saraswathi to Generations of Indians<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVyj2pTmyalmEthkif2ZCaM9k-vxHxVKs1NvHfvGcMXgYdeCUuWq-rI3bkOYPSIvujTpaFNVCCJ7rLxyyDZtT803DU-iMOhsZwHm3otLBunsarFrZsq-P59cC75C9Zi1-o3iV0MUTcqmqttdWZyvHKCJg6pO6q9By8H2T3tILTGtqpz-EVIC5umXvwgQ=s3038" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3038" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVyj2pTmyalmEthkif2ZCaM9k-vxHxVKs1NvHfvGcMXgYdeCUuWq-rI3bkOYPSIvujTpaFNVCCJ7rLxyyDZtT803DU-iMOhsZwHm3otLBunsarFrZsq-P59cC75C9Zi1-o3iV0MUTcqmqttdWZyvHKCJg6pO6q9By8H2T3tILTGtqpz-EVIC5umXvwgQ=w637-h640" width="637" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b> On Basant Panchami, the day on which Indians pay obeisance to Goddess Saraswathi - the Goddess of Knowledge, Intellect, Arts, Music and Dance, my mobile flashed the news that Lata Mangeshkar, idolized by millions of Indians as Maa Saraswathi, lies critical in the ICU.</b></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><b>Not many Indians have been such an integral part of the Indian Ethos for over seven decades as Lata Mangeshkar has been. From the All India Radio and LP Records and thereafter from Doordarshan Television, tapes, CDs, Walkmans, ipods, and the internet, Lata Mangeshkar's music has been the one constant for many of us. Across punishments in school, nasty teachers, mean friends and competitive exams to job rejections, bad bosses, wakeful nights with colicky toddlers, stressful PTA meetings and teenage tantrums, there was always the warm blanket of a Lata Mangeshkar song that would set the world to rights! From the first song recorded circa 1945 to as recent as 2019, Lata Mangeshkar has given us a staggering volume of music across different genres in various Indian languages. It is difficult to conceive of a world without her. Reams and reams have been written about her. This is a re- post of yet another piece, written two decades earlier, by a straight-from-the-heart rookie, for an institution called Lata Mangeshkar. Lata Mangeshkar lives on. </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><b> </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><b> (Published in the International Edition of Kalnirnay 2002)</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Music and films are two vital components of the Indian psyche. And the two names which dominate the field of playback singing in Indian films - giving it prominence, importance and respectability - are Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Does one need an introduction to Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale? To many, these two are the names with which the day begins, as they reach out to the All India Radio. To some others, they are the unobtrusive yet ubiquitous presences of their growing years. And to the younger and the uninitiated, they are singers who are singing for girls old enough to be their grand daughters.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Born to Dinanath and Shevanthi Mangeshkar, Lata and Asha came into professional singing, only to bail out of crisis situations. Lata took to playback singing, in order to support her family after her father's demise while Asha stepped in to support herself and her three children after a disastrous marriage.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lata was born on the 28th of September 1929. Very soon after her birth, Dinanath Mangeshkar perceived a divine musical gift in his first born. It is said that Lata could repeat, flawlessly, any classical raga, from the age of five - something she picked up when she was playing as her father conducted his music classes. Dinanath Mangeshkar took it upon himself to train and nurture this talent. While the actor Dinanath would go to bed at three a.m, the singer Dinanath would be up at five a.m to train Lata in the myriad nuances of classical music. This training was, however, to be short-lived.After scaling unprecedented heights of fame and material prosperity, Dinanath Mangeshkar succumbed to the lure of alcohol and died in penury, leaving behind a wife and five children. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">The responsibility of ensuring their survival fell on the frail shoulders of Lata who was all of 13 years. Within ten days of her father's demise, Lata donned the greasepaint and faced the camera for a cameo role in Master Vinayak's Marathi film 'Pahila Mangalgaur'. Lata was awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera. Singing was her forte but the home fires had to be kept burning. So she took on roles that came her way. It was in 1947 that Lata got her break in Hindi playback singing and it was only in 1950, that she arrived, in full glory with the evergreen haunting melody 'Ayegaa Aanewala' with music director Khemchand Prakash from the film Mahal. How ironical that the record label of the song reads 'song sung by Kamini' which is the name of the heroine in the film on whom the song was picturized. Thus began the ascent of Lata Mangeshkar who has since then sung for six generations of music directors over five and a half decades in no less than fourteen languages.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">A chronology of her work would fill a tome and no matter how exhaustive, it would hardly do justice to a person to whom music is a faith and a worship to the Goddess Saraswathi. Which is why Lata is always bare-foot whenever she sings, be it on stage or in the recording studio. dressed simply, mostly always in a white saree only the border of which differs each day, here is an artiste who does her riyaaz (Practice) each day as if she were a beginner. Yet she retains an almost childlike love and zest for some of the finer pleasures of life like collecting perfumes. Here is an amateur photographer with an almost professional knowledge of photography. Globe trotting for a good part of the year, here is a simple lady who keeps in touch with the family (including her equally illustrious, Asha Bhosale) that she has raised to self-sufficiency, no matter which corner of the world she is in.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Asha Bhosale at 68, is dubbed as the 'Grandma Madonna from India'. Born on the 8th of September 1933, Asha settled for a life of domesticity, rather early in life. Unfortunately, domestic bliss eluded her and after a few traumatic years, Asha came out of the marriage with three small children to support.Music was in her genes, it was the only thing she was exposed to the only thing she was ever trained in. Moreover with a sister already in the trade, joining her seemed to be the logical consequence. However, it was only wit O.P.Nayyar's pulsating score for the film Naya Daur, that Asha came into her own. Initially, it was said that she imitated the sensuous Geeta Dutt. Gradually, with the faith imposed in her by music directors like S.D.Burman, O.P.Nayyar, Khayyam and others (R.D.Barman especially) Asha carved out a unique style of singing. Sometimes teasing, sometimes naughty, sometimes seductive and sometimes sedate, here was a singer who could only be called versatile.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Asha has literally experimented with music. She has been contemporary without defying or defiling tradition. In fact it was her that the Sitar maestro Ali Akbar Khan selected, to impart those rare compositions of his father and grandfather, that were, hitherto, known only to him. Also when pop, rock and jazz came to India, Asha Bhosle did not shy away from them. She harnessed them and rode them well, opening her second innings with young A.R.Rehman. She has sung with a variety of Western musicians and given them a run for their money and crowned it all by walking away with the Channel V award for her album 'Janam Samjha Karo'So, whether it is Bally Sagoo or A.R.Rehman, Lez Louise or Vishal Bharadwaj, Asha Bhosle is right there, here and now.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">In the last five and a half decades, the Mangeshkar duo have held sway over the Hindi Film Industry. Many awards have come their way, all of them accepted with utmost humility. When Lata Mangeshkar was awarded the highest civilian award of India, the Bharat Ratna, she said "This is such a big honour. Compared to other artistes I am such a small artiste." When Asha Bhosle was awarded the Lata Mangeshkar award she received it saying, "To me this award is more precious than the Grammy... Lata Didi is not just my elder sister, she is like a mother". Just as awards have come in droves, so have accusations. A lot has been said about the rivalry between the two sisters.There have been stories about how Lata never sang for O.P. Nayyar because of some personal reasons involving Asha Bhosle who gave him her best. There have been accusations about how the two sisters have sabotaged the careers of many an upcoming female playback singers and music directors. What the truth is no one will know because both of them have largely maintained a graceful silence on all such controversies. It seems highly unlikely, though, that illustrious careers spanning five and a half decades could have been sustained through manipulation. The Hindi Film and music industry is so vast that there is ample space for many. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">So let us not talk about all that. Let us talk of the 250 bed hospital that is coming up in Pune. Let us talk about the scholarships that Lata gives, to needy students of classical music through the Dinanath Mangeshkar Trust. Let us talk of the panache with which Asha Bhosle takes on Western musicians on their home ground and presents the amazing resilience of Indian music to the world. Let us talk about the passion with which they keep the Indian Flag flying high, unifying Indians all over the world. They are quite simply prolific, evergreen and almost everlasting. Let us raise a toast to that!.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div dir="rtl" style="margin-right: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-9110730448741889052022-01-23T20:38:00.140+05:302023-11-17T04:13:21.013+05:30The 'Wackily Serious' Puzzling World - New Zealand<div class="separator" style="text-align: right;"><span><br /></span></div><p><span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimoH8YbA48ctOSxGQBbUCOf4nrZLvtIcpHgSsyDzpwt6iONuOTpXQe6QXh8w1oQ63l-nN0WkA1U7NhghXI9gqVPocV5L7hmAzYUmF5foU7_tYnLKfUJ9aLJeeiJzIAdV_rsi9CP1VhciV36nmCHwJ2lzabcMG_IwwTVVEh0k_fOoGuqJELmWepSWQ1aA=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimoH8YbA48ctOSxGQBbUCOf4nrZLvtIcpHgSsyDzpwt6iONuOTpXQe6QXh8w1oQ63l-nN0WkA1U7NhghXI9gqVPocV5L7hmAzYUmF5foU7_tYnLKfUJ9aLJeeiJzIAdV_rsi9CP1VhciV36nmCHwJ2lzabcMG_IwwTVVEh0k_fOoGuqJELmWepSWQ1aA=w640-h499" width="640" /></a> </span></div><span> <br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left;">It was the next morning, on the way to the far-off glacier town of Franz Josef, well after we left Queenstown, New Zealand</span><span style="text-align: left;">, that I discovered that my credit card was missing. After hitting panic stations and tracing all my movements over the last twenty four hours, I realized that the last time I had used it was at Puzzling World, Wanaka, on the previous evening. </span></span></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Deep down in the Southern Hemisphere, at an hour's drive from Queenstown in New Zealand, exists an alternate universe called Puzzling World (PW) that blows your mind off. The brain child of Stuart Landsborough and his wife, Puzzling World was born in 1973 when they sold their house to buy barren land in the middle of nowhere, because they wanted to build a maze. Just that - a maze in a small town with a population of only about 800 people. Predictably, banks did not give them a loan. They went ahead anyway, sold their house, and built the maze in time for the summer vacations of 1973. Almost 18,000 people visited the maze once it was ready, and the Landsborough couple never looked back. In 1983, they added bridges and steps to the maze, making it the world's first 3-D maze and the largest of its time. In the years that followed, they added multiple mind-bending attractions and made PW one of the most interesting, eclectic, and quirky amusement centres.</span></p><p><span>PW did not feature much in populist itineraries. The regular beat covered Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown (for its adventure sports), Glacier Land, and finally Christchurch, give and take a few attractions along the way. PW is located in Wanaka, about an hour's drive from the closest hub, Queenstown, and its </span>last admission is around 4:30pm. This could call for an extra day at Queenstown (or Wanaka), perhaps explaining why it did not feature on the regular beat. But from what we had seen of PW on its website, visiting it was non-negotiable.</p><p><span>After an early morning flight from bone-chilling Rotorua to Queenstown, a blitz of a check-in at the hotel, and a big hurrah for the streamlined self-drive ecosystem of New Zealand, we were on the road to Wanaka - and it was already noon. There was very little traffic; so little that we thought</span> we had lost our way several times. It was a beautiful road, lined on both sides with greenery of various hues, from dry yellowish to vibrantly verdant, set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Crown Range mountains. The road seemed a destination in itself. After a drive that seemed longer than an hour by one, we suddenly came up on a huge concrete tower leaning dangerously, with just one corner moored to the ground. This was the Leaning Tower of Wanaka.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAnVpEbdPrGD6_7dbxOARduMhlj8_FbHmzcc9Vthk2O6aKXFiJmu1RCu_ABpwV1JpLTyEbWlzf6nasfYfMKD7t7LTk7Ussr_odhAnAF7GhkTtOQGFGNftvP7QoetGx9KVvydXzi-BXKzDjccjdhVFa3Vpvw77rKY3m5Fj0kSxq8r3i6vyVqPY2gysTSQ=w640-h480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tumbling Towers</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAnVpEbdPrGD6_7dbxOARduMhlj8_FbHmzcc9Vthk2O6aKXFiJmu1RCu_ABpwV1JpLTyEbWlzf6nasfYfMKD7t7LTk7Ussr_odhAnAF7GhkTtOQGFGNftvP7QoetGx9KVvydXzi-BXKzDjccjdhVFa3Vpvw77rKY3m5Fj0kSxq8r3i6vyVqPY2gysTSQ=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span></span></a></div><span><br /></span><p>Behind it lay a few single-storied cottages and four skewed but inter-connected towers - the Tumbling Towers. They looked straight out of a fairy tale.</p><p>We had reached Puzzling World. </p><p>As expected, it was not teeming with humankind, and there were just a few parked cars. The vibe was a bit underwhelming, but only till we stepped into a cheerful cafe and souvenir store. Excited children and bemused adults pored over neatly arranged tables, tending not to their beverages, but instead to the puzzles that were set out on each table. These were not your routine Ludo or snakes-and-ladders. They were mind-bending challenges <span style="text-align: justify;">that compelled attention, so much so that food soon became the last thing on our minds. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw4-bzOZQOWgPOGsciu0--pHrHU7D5PquFObW4CHmDAJpIF0ILlXai03Y4VS8idgwEA48qMvjYt9YcA7NbR4rZuPmnJosELgr7MSD8CAKJAF13R_7YUBKlzu2Pf6uCgxm87u_F-rx9tMGFHFsJSezODwN5hLjmFROkmSF80NwJzDULwatmMSmUpOA-Xg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw4-bzOZQOWgPOGsciu0--pHrHU7D5PquFObW4CHmDAJpIF0ILlXai03Y4VS8idgwEA48qMvjYt9YcA7NbR4rZuPmnJosELgr7MSD8CAKJAF13R_7YUBKlzu2Pf6uCgxm87u_F-rx9tMGFHFsJSezODwN5hLjmFROkmSF80NwJzDULwatmMSmUpOA-Xg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Think Tank Cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">Thoroughly reassured, we picked up a map of the place and started with the Hologram Hall - purportedly the largest collection of 3D and 2D Hologram features and photos in the world. Some of them were familiar, but most others, like the plasma holograms, had our grey cells working hard.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrYkffyhk4oI9WQGmBY-Yckz9ALYCnOH-tN-AgUR0_CWH1gmB_GwczI2WIU5JbhPYLdSxtf_5DJCRC1bEJj2xC9fSywRlCBBVqWJkJFtXZL3ZDi3dRTOxC2eEOn5hVjr-OkogIS-J9jIVtPCENqpDjHzYQmcYcZeaag16KSCpY65zIpkIeNIfhwZQWrw=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrYkffyhk4oI9WQGmBY-Yckz9ALYCnOH-tN-AgUR0_CWH1gmB_GwczI2WIU5JbhPYLdSxtf_5DJCRC1bEJj2xC9fSywRlCBBVqWJkJFtXZL3ZDi3dRTOxC2eEOn5hVjr-OkogIS-J9jIVtPCENqpDjHzYQmcYcZeaag16KSCpY65zIpkIeNIfhwZQWrw=w263-h197" width="263" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcQ4NHuYwFveGSDmOgSH3-mBclyZWKnsX60zMKk_t-6UXR4haeZRcO5ignDwEm4gMGJbEYPCq75MNQpJFM6yw7zANasP0m9zsBy26IWSJ6jdno761ZnUpWFoLhk9QUR86QrO24xbaKjh2Go0odtrgzgIvmpk91_eEXHkmMkmJS0EBqcbRLtNaXXnXdsg=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcQ4NHuYwFveGSDmOgSH3-mBclyZWKnsX60zMKk_t-6UXR4haeZRcO5ignDwEm4gMGJbEYPCq75MNQpJFM6yw7zANasP0m9zsBy26IWSJ6jdno761ZnUpWFoLhk9QUR86QrO24xbaKjh2Go0odtrgzgIvmpk91_eEXHkmMkmJS0EBqcbRLtNaXXnXdsg=w252-h190" width="252" /></a></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The next stop was the Hall of Following Faces - a dark octagonal room whose walls were covered with concave face models of famous people like Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and Churchill. The only light in the room came from small bulbs behind the masks. At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about these masks. But when we approached them with one eye closed (as instructed), the concave faces appeared fully convex AND the eyes of the faces followed us as we moved around the room in any direction. Eerie? Not in the least bit; therein lies the uniqueness of Puzzling World. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzV_BkgBfACSZFqj1R2X2_nw2MLf9CgIN2KCLYi5hzjHDH5pnAk3YQQsUpb5XjUz4ifWuGlA7x8xAfbp690U-krSG_at4PFxUdFfukOClUHdJP_CJMftDfdLFbiHmdxe5vCFv_ANr6bMnBUQQhzW71kFuYy9L5i2tEpIqBx0VbQJwR4H0qNHkeDl115w=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzV_BkgBfACSZFqj1R2X2_nw2MLf9CgIN2KCLYi5hzjHDH5pnAk3YQQsUpb5XjUz4ifWuGlA7x8xAfbp690U-krSG_at4PFxUdFfukOClUHdJP_CJMftDfdLFbiHmdxe5vCFv_ANr6bMnBUQQhzW71kFuYy9L5i2tEpIqBx0VbQJwR4H0qNHkeDl115w=w400-h300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>THE HALL OF FACES<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: justify;">At Puzzling World, complex cognitive, mathematical and optical principles are presented in the most interesting way, so you really cannot help learning something new. Take for example, the concept of ambigrams in the Illusion Rooms. I must confess that I had no clue as to what an ambigram was till I saw it in Puzzling World.</span><span> An ambigram is a typographical creation that represents two or more separate words in the same space. I</span>t takes the mind a while to look beyond the obvious word and <span>spot the other, which is an antonym or a complementary word that completes the </span>phrase. <span>There were rotational ambigrams, reflected ambigrams, perceptual shift ambigrams and what have you. Then there were pictures that hid so many more within them and models that had us scratching our heads till we picked out their underlying forms.</span><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOrDejByBJp7wJoBXHNeRU7h9K4eHs0mjkJIirs7ZltUo7W8lIayU4SOV5o6HUhHrnw2vi4JVJkHm5uOW8m4MZPr2GCOIkf4Xkd3UsecKmDbOxn2sdTbne0enXCcGkNV6QdCwUIWf5REd6Ec3oXmjHjgR8kMwZ0RPGPemELd7qh1ymQwexWd0Q08Nv9A=s4000" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOrDejByBJp7wJoBXHNeRU7h9K4eHs0mjkJIirs7ZltUo7W8lIayU4SOV5o6HUhHrnw2vi4JVJkHm5uOW8m4MZPr2GCOIkf4Xkd3UsecKmDbOxn2sdTbne0enXCcGkNV6QdCwUIWf5REd6Ec3oXmjHjgR8kMwZ0RPGPemELd7qh1ymQwexWd0Q08Nv9A=w278-h221" width="278" /></span><span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaLNjNWA-ju-tOZhtc-_3YfPqrs0ZXnJv1Lq2xcv-KdJNW1ixPxRzeZhUZj6eKm7HxJAeQncmjFgd3dl_qYxQKk-qiwoJaCiGmQp9b6krUbuvOG9j7jb_1orbOtgbftsmkssc_qsncENJRMn40av0n2yAVZvyGXj2DcWr31afY8fYZBLpMiVS5WNw9ng=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaLNjNWA-ju-tOZhtc-_3YfPqrs0ZXnJv1Lq2xcv-KdJNW1ixPxRzeZhUZj6eKm7HxJAeQncmjFgd3dl_qYxQKk-qiwoJaCiGmQp9b6krUbuvOG9j7jb_1orbOtgbftsmkssc_qsncENJRMn40av0n2yAVZvyGXj2DcWr31afY8fYZBLpMiVS5WNw9ng=w271-h219" width="271" /></a> </span></div><span> Ambigrams<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Moving on we entered the Tilted House, where no matter how straight we stood, we were leaning at an angle. Gravity? Illusion? Why was water flowing upwards and how was the ball on a downward-sloping billiards table creeping up the table? At the Dazzle Room, we wondered whether it was us that was moving or the room itself. At the Ames room, I shrank in size as I crossed over to the other end; when I watched the video playback, my thirteen year old was much taller than I was. These were some of the most unusual experiences we had ever had. It took considerable effort not to feel disoriented. In fact, there is a clear warning that these rooms may cause disturbances in orientation and balance - but that was the whole novelty of the experience.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY2Jm8hZxd7BhVSE9GKRxeATkMCmUy5e1huGQDGkjJHsjzd8gT_NLBsDKJfuoYJSqyc5lmBVQPu8QKMTbHmh3GX7-XZb1J68HyVaExsDY_2xyT94gWWZNvDglO_Zw-0gm6OfUKkXCwpnQD_aWeXaG-6GmT22yMCHSdExTelO1sj33nQ55M6mZq95yRTQ=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY2Jm8hZxd7BhVSE9GKRxeATkMCmUy5e1huGQDGkjJHsjzd8gT_NLBsDKJfuoYJSqyc5lmBVQPu8QKMTbHmh3GX7-XZb1J68HyVaExsDY_2xyT94gWWZNvDglO_Zw-0gm6OfUKkXCwpnQD_aWeXaG-6GmT22yMCHSdExTelO1sj33nQ55M6mZq95yRTQ=w314-h400" width="314" /></span></a></div><div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span>All this had left us with no time for the Great Maze. PW was closing in half-an-hour and all we had time for was the Puzzle Shop, which had the widest array of puzzles for children of all ages from six to seventy five. There were trick beer glasses that looked like inverted bottles without a lid, shot glasses that leaned precariously without a drop spilling out, Turkish Puzzle rings, and impossible jigsaw puzzles and T-Shirts that defied comprehension. What took the cake and the bakery, though, was the Backward Clock where the numbers were arranged anti-clockwise and the minute-hand and the hour-hand went backwards. The ultimate brain teaser, it takes even the sharpest at least a minute to figure out the exact time. The verdict on the Backward Clock was unanimous - it had to be part of our collection.</span></div><div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3mkTi6utcQT3t4AboAAXFXbh5B7r7aVcOg9pZ0LuHeQl3KxN1MCfo6J_7WnLnF8hq9zAvik44buGrhMK6Txj9BIrUVWaTvtN_DOAh2zQbZYCJdetCYzrcFMi9iSCtcAR8_KN-_xYrfRR/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="871" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3mkTi6utcQT3t4AboAAXFXbh5B7r7aVcOg9pZ0LuHeQl3KxN1MCfo6J_7WnLnF8hq9zAvik44buGrhMK6Txj9BIrUVWaTvtN_DOAh2zQbZYCJdetCYzrcFMi9iSCtcAR8_KN-_xYrfRR/w213-h272/image.png" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQkl5CuXnWwGXXscTH1tmA65g1g8vkLBsDEQZ5NNeIoVNScBLnLnrUo-7sB8sks9UxP8yUNjt-m_40XQ5ap_OYtUMM1HWsa26L3AAr4LpNvkP1Y74xI4ALOyrLI-3prX0pnTPUoym95RnOKBs3z2TUNfrW0t-c74vEpUnaGzxL5aTvZms3qxHuBuTrPw=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQkl5CuXnWwGXXscTH1tmA65g1g8vkLBsDEQZ5NNeIoVNScBLnLnrUo-7sB8sks9UxP8yUNjt-m_40XQ5ap_OYtUMM1HWsa26L3AAr4LpNvkP1Y74xI4ALOyrLI-3prX0pnTPUoym95RnOKBs3z2TUNfrW0t-c74vEpUnaGzxL5aTvZms3qxHuBuTrPw=w300-h361" width="300" /></span></a> </div><span><br /></span><div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div></div><span>The shopping basket was getting full and there was hectic to-ing and fro-ing from the shelves to the billing counter when, right on cue, my thirteen year old said that he had to use the wash room. With five minutes for PW to shut down, he dashed towards the Roman Toilet and in three seconds, he dashed out again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>“There are four or five people using it! All at the same time!” he screeched incredulously. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>“Of course there will be four or five people using the toilet at the same time, but they must be in cubicles. Come.” I took his arm and went back towards the toilet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>And that is how I forgot my credit card! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>Let me say no more, except that whatever you do or don’t, do not miss the Roman Toilets at Puzzling World, Wanaka, New Zealand. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>(All photos by the author)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span> <br /><br /> </span></div><span> </span></div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheQ5i8yMG1kDnJCg28vNpeqVWYEtMHdhtuB7tDvsB1mysoFxx98eKq8yCFy1DAETBX_RSRDCOxzTumev5-lSBlbDVoVNU6pVQaGPtH0lrfSumYIY3g6WYOgTd85pWPAUzbqzvj_nZmhtcVx3Ocp5QTLbwdQ4B_u4O7mTz8AVmhqUibsN2VkqcY99jxFg=s4000" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /> <br /> <br /><br /> </span></div><span><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><br /><p></p></div></div>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-24598062333669933872021-12-08T18:57:00.004+05:302021-12-24T10:12:57.402+05:30Chand Baori - Poetry in Stone<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5FafafZ5Pi078j8F3K5dd7fsQzKAlJc_pM_-nbSQwlrjG_Tpj3NhBBVy3IIJSu9aapKbwf33kqO2zscBz59pqlrzaGJQyvtlRS1g_G3l-6iTolZg9CdYGLGorLyyMXWG7dfzMiijlEpIPJJw23nXCY0wmtd6ZgL2YacOWTE-fL5jHKv-1I48-Zwn5yQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5FafafZ5Pi078j8F3K5dd7fsQzKAlJc_pM_-nbSQwlrjG_Tpj3NhBBVy3IIJSu9aapKbwf33kqO2zscBz59pqlrzaGJQyvtlRS1g_G3l-6iTolZg9CdYGLGorLyyMXWG7dfzMiijlEpIPJJw23nXCY0wmtd6ZgL2YacOWTE-fL5jHKv-1I48-Zwn5yQ=w640-h640" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">There is a sleepy little village called Abhaneri, 95 kilometres away from Jaipur on the Jaipur Delhi Highway. Somewhere around the 8th Century, a Rajput King is said to have built <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2016/12/where-waters-run-deep-hindu-20th.html" target="_blank">Chand Baori</a> a 100 feet deep step well, in his effort to conserve and store water and replenish the water table in this very arid desert region. </span></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK5vml_51v17eRHL8kh4K4veli32XaJXWw0oYPrWtGH0lQi8uy1mbkh4K66jw0wHLrqr0XqGb5dfPea_jlL6ZneZXnLPzyUog6o9nfsEcJrVdf2LnNjn28Xx8Py3fHFYTsvBo3AoPBzAQkgGFhoKfJfv9PRN9vLahpGn641y4ZonYxhHapi9CUMpgtdg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK5vml_51v17eRHL8kh4K4veli32XaJXWw0oYPrWtGH0lQi8uy1mbkh4K66jw0wHLrqr0XqGb5dfPea_jlL6ZneZXnLPzyUog6o9nfsEcJrVdf2LnNjn28Xx8Py3fHFYTsvBo3AoPBzAQkgGFhoKfJfv9PRN9vLahpGn641y4ZonYxhHapi9CUMpgtdg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p><a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2016/12/where-waters-run-deep-hindu-20th.html" target="">Chand Baori</a> stepped on the world stage when Christopher Nolan modelled a few sets of the picture "The Dark Night Rises" on this monument. Subsequent Indian and international movie makers have also harnessed the intricate beauty of Chand Baori.</p><p><br /></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX6CYVYT5mJSOVq5IxY6eBlDKqHSSE1Qg4BrmQOELWglDJ6vBf3vpoTaCAIMFaFQtPoGV00zTFWMQUnF4NPwk4nMquGazB5GsEb8xv0XEt8MqriiNs0TCCCS7-UWcfMUx7YLO1Kz99iTTHZ_rDKv7qIorZSd8cyLDWNeb2vjNlcbnZy7lsX6xWQVATQw=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX6CYVYT5mJSOVq5IxY6eBlDKqHSSE1Qg4BrmQOELWglDJ6vBf3vpoTaCAIMFaFQtPoGV00zTFWMQUnF4NPwk4nMquGazB5GsEb8xv0XEt8MqriiNs0TCCCS7-UWcfMUx7YLO1Kz99iTTHZ_rDKv7qIorZSd8cyLDWNeb2vjNlcbnZy7lsX6xWQVATQw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p>One of the deepest <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2016/12/where-waters-run-deep-hindu-20th.html" target="_blank">step wells </a>in India, Chand Baori has 3500 steps over 13 stories from the base to the top.As higher stories were added, the Kings thoughtfully set up a pulley system that would draw water from the base.</p><p><br /></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmA08DXDRmZIKWsSsY4ZJ1xwngRzg0Za9yootFh6RQ6bOZGi3Q2Z56maP42d_8eCOJ_tohwYlT-Ef7KmFiOsIUU78zZ2rJO-M17u2T6AWlW08ktlPxrpph5WYniBP4nqRRJ5c_X64jwZuQOkUBhg5w3RisJrkezShtGdA0T8U6ApQH7SA35hKCCy30Sg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmA08DXDRmZIKWsSsY4ZJ1xwngRzg0Za9yootFh6RQ6bOZGi3Q2Z56maP42d_8eCOJ_tohwYlT-Ef7KmFiOsIUU78zZ2rJO-M17u2T6AWlW08ktlPxrpph5WYniBP4nqRRJ5c_X64jwZuQOkUBhg5w3RisJrkezShtGdA0T8U6ApQH7SA35hKCCy30Sg=w163-h200" width="163" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ97R6mtrTl_BmBW5PwHAEW5WnGblkjA_gHXAuNRH2EPtvf7yzKHLsncLp2Gaz9-P5In71432mVVqPKWaoSLxk3TgAnR1Yxu-JMuq-eZYb33ChYPg3IevZRCCylbs-1EwRZIVm-JFTZlFgZRhh3FWMpDAiWzukyEC9TTikgNonJmZg0vzS6exKfmBSdA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ97R6mtrTl_BmBW5PwHAEW5WnGblkjA_gHXAuNRH2EPtvf7yzKHLsncLp2Gaz9-P5In71432mVVqPKWaoSLxk3TgAnR1Yxu-JMuq-eZYb33ChYPg3IevZRCCylbs-1EwRZIVm-JFTZlFgZRhh3FWMpDAiWzukyEC9TTikgNonJmZg0vzS6exKfmBSdA=w150-h200" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBhZWboT0O7Sj96nqn3ADW1V2IFK4n_VSRAeoqjkgC95LSCO5en59M_NLHp2Czvu1Hg86SN9gbdMGuOzxdpxmXgNAsenoSe-hrU1CAV5OsmV6za1_ZVJw5I4WhM64a-kzaWel7h9frqcEvgqjLd-tI2eBZW4IaNcuCr6uXZg4fwIpegnt9butwL0tg4g=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBhZWboT0O7Sj96nqn3ADW1V2IFK4n_VSRAeoqjkgC95LSCO5en59M_NLHp2Czvu1Hg86SN9gbdMGuOzxdpxmXgNAsenoSe-hrU1CAV5OsmV6za1_ZVJw5I4WhM64a-kzaWel7h9frqcEvgqjLd-tI2eBZW4IaNcuCr6uXZg4fwIpegnt9butwL0tg4g=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Corniches and chambers, built along the four sides of the step well, served as resting places for women who came to collect water. Legend has it that on full moon nights, the King would come to Chand Baori with his consorts for a picnic and would spend the night in these chambers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmKmTTCPVdWp8scsBsKNgPEOLG81CjBhxUa8alyC05wS0RJycm0N7_eLzMZc_UFgCkb8mPPPkP_rPRV58fE5b5GPI5i6OZUg_Yov8Fq9bcxGUp5gVo873ynIaRv85AOGvIITNguIibE_QUNaE2QPk3r4WWacHy6KrmHHTKMGI5zp9K_jqeIRZqcMg3Zw=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmKmTTCPVdWp8scsBsKNgPEOLG81CjBhxUa8alyC05wS0RJycm0N7_eLzMZc_UFgCkb8mPPPkP_rPRV58fE5b5GPI5i6OZUg_Yov8Fq9bcxGUp5gVo873ynIaRv85AOGvIITNguIibE_QUNaE2QPk3r4WWacHy6KrmHHTKMGI5zp9K_jqeIRZqcMg3Zw=w356-h474" width="356" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Central to Chand Baori is the Harshat Mata Temple. Built by one of the Kings as a Thanksgiving Offering to the Goddess of Happiness, Chand Baori, to the villagers, comes only second to the Harshat Mata Temple.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-H9z2LlIYPXfNqraCiIe_fSNjMOOTT5yM81EcMSIj0GB0A_AEu8iavD6FlXGYKc6SBoZRQBEh-DgS7_KzCcL5GxCpdLL-mRxg8cBj4fMcLmcfYqaOHfAdoaG7OrWrutEAkHIsvn7AR4ibRWlg1z0I1GqXzfmG_dzZYi6ahaigQywUx6BqFI6NWatAFg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-H9z2LlIYPXfNqraCiIe_fSNjMOOTT5yM81EcMSIj0GB0A_AEu8iavD6FlXGYKc6SBoZRQBEh-DgS7_KzCcL5GxCpdLL-mRxg8cBj4fMcLmcfYqaOHfAdoaG7OrWrutEAkHIsvn7AR4ibRWlg1z0I1GqXzfmG_dzZYi6ahaigQywUx6BqFI6NWatAFg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well, Christopher Nolan may come and go, but <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2016/12/where-waters-run-deep-hindu-20th.html" target="_blank">Abhaneri</a> remains the village it has always been, give and take a camel or two and the ubiquitous mobile tower!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-7125928819567196782021-11-16T16:40:00.020+05:302022-03-06T18:00:16.390+05:30 Bal Mithai - The taste of the Hills. Published in Sunday Herald March 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> Publication link: </span><span style="text-align: center;">https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-melange/bal-mithai-a-taste-of-the-hills-1087420.html</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTyheOI3PVXsM0DJ_B9iwOfGXyBTEZu0A_6Aec_LY04Uu96kKAX5qr0jM9HZLMkkFqc7j6jyibiKZQy-lhf0vA00Ai3F77DneLQFP-a66W2kD388HZVY-ovA8saRD0GRXLniVLtOQzPTC/s800/71AF5268-649A-4A9D-BEEA-C3112A7A15D2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="800" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTyheOI3PVXsM0DJ_B9iwOfGXyBTEZu0A_6Aec_LY04Uu96kKAX5qr0jM9HZLMkkFqc7j6jyibiKZQy-lhf0vA00Ai3F77DneLQFP-a66W2kD388HZVY-ovA8saRD0GRXLniVLtOQzPTC/w365-h252/71AF5268-649A-4A9D-BEEA-C3112A7A15D2.jpeg" width="365" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div> </div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">"Taste karo! Bal Mithai! This is the pride of Garhwal!" he said pointing to a rectangular dark brown block, dotted with tiny white balls. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Far from looking like a sweet, it did not even look edible. It looked like a block of Play-Doh rolled in tiny Styrofoam balls.We were at Chhoti Haldwani, also known as Corbett Village, in Uttarakhand. Nature enthusiasts and visitors to Corbett National Park visit this tiny village to see Corbett's house, hold his gun and look at the wall he erected to protect the village from the Man Eaters of Kumaon. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"> A hard core South Indian and not a Chef by any standard, nevertheless, I know my North Indian Cuisine with its Rotis, Dal, Bhurjis and Halwas . However, at Chhoti Haldwani I learnt that Uttarakhand, despite being right up North, has a cuisine that is vastly different. Mustard Oil is the staple oil, sabjis are made from stinging nettles, Daals go way beyond the tuvar and moong and Bhang Chutney is made even when it is not Holi.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"> "What is it made of?" I asked the cook.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">"Khoya, Sugar and Ghee" he replied with a hint of hurt pride. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">We cut a wee piece of the block and put it in our mouth. The mustard oil and the stinging nettles had certainly not prepared us for this. Firm yet pliant enough to be chewy, gooey yet crunchy, this scrap was a celebration of taste and texture, reminiscent of another time and another world. It was delectable and decadent. The human mind tends to slot new experiences to the known. It tasted like Dharwad Peda. Maybe it was an off shoot of Milk Cake with Chocolate. But Bal Mithai defied typifying. Bal Mithai tasted like Bal Mithai.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">The cook watched with a vindicated smirk as we demolished block after block.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">That evening he took us to the shop in the one lane bazaar of Chhoti Haldwani that seemed to house all the massive cows from whose milk Bal Mithai was made and we bought boxes and boxes of it.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">"Will you courier it to Bangalore if we need?" I asked. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">The shop owner gave me that scathing look reserved for city dwellers. " What I make each day is exhausted in an hour. Not possible."</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Bal Mithai, I learnt, is almost ancient. It is believed that Assyrians left 'Kummah' their homeland, on the banks of Euphrates, in the 5th Century and settled in the Northern regions of India somewhere near Nepal. They called their new home Kumaon and are said to have made this sweet as an offering to the Sun God, who they called Baal. Over the centuries, Kumaon became part of India and Bal Mithai came down the generations to become one of the flagship desserts of Uttarakhand.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">However, Bal Mithai burst into prominence only in the early 1900s, when Lala Joga Sah, a halwai from Laal Bazaar, Almora decided to sell it. In business since 1865, Lala Joga Sah found the milk from Phalsima, a village close by, to be of excellent quality. He cooked this rich creamy milk in huge vats for hours till it lost its moisture and left behind the grainy residue called Khoya, then added sugar and cooked the two till they coalesced into a rich brown mixture that looked like chocolate. The mixture was spread out and cut into inch high, seven inch long pieces after it had cooled. But poppy seeds were very expensive. So Lala Joga Sah rolled these in small crunchy white sugar balls, making it a uniquely textured dessert. The Britishers of Almora and the surrounding Cantonment areas were taken up with Lala Joga Sah's Bal Mithai. It reminded them of chocolate. It reminded them of home and boxes of Bal Mithai were exchanged at Christmas, in the Cantonment areas of Uttarakhand and Garhwal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o7MAHh2FGSR7hPdhQUMj_CR-VCq-HoZ1gr0bFViFUOQg9u6QDESI2InHcx9kVdb0Fvseo7TjFT2G7_Z1VcGD_dWZlrJlwitRFP9Mmrz2kOrjHSMn8w6vtivdKvlGuo-Qx9lfLzMJklMa/s120/CA6B7B77-648E-4192-9A0F-B12EBF519226.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="120" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o7MAHh2FGSR7hPdhQUMj_CR-VCq-HoZ1gr0bFViFUOQg9u6QDESI2InHcx9kVdb0Fvseo7TjFT2G7_Z1VcGD_dWZlrJlwitRFP9Mmrz2kOrjHSMn8w6vtivdKvlGuo-Qx9lfLzMJklMa/s0/CA6B7B77-648E-4192-9A0F-B12EBF519226.jpeg" width="120" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">Back in Bangalore, we searched high and low for Bal Mithai, and drew a blank. It was a good ten years before we could taste it again - this time in Nainital.</span></div>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">"Mamu's Naini Sweets! That is where you will get Bal Mithai. But make sure to reach before four. Else it will be sold out" </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">It was to Mamu Ki Mithai that we first went after reaching Nainital. And there it was, sitting in a neat pyramid inside a glass topped wooden box, in a single street bazaar, surrounded by hills filled with Deodhar trees, on an evening, chill and fragrant with mountain air.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"> Bal Mithai always makes me yearn for the hills. It evokes the most vivid imagery of strapping cows grazing on the green, lush slopes of the Garhwal hills, of mustachioed milkmen milking them, of hefty, pot bellied halwais stirring the snow white creamy milk patiently in huge iron vats placed over wooden and coal fires, of sacks of sugar and tins of ghee being emptied into it, of huge flat aluminum trays filled with rectangular blocks ready to be rolled in shiny white balls and of those olde world wooden shelves with glass lids under which lie unheard of treats.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Bal Mithai tastes of the Hills. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Recipe </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Bal Mithai made in sanitized kitchens in non stick kadhais may not taste the same. Still here is the recipe.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Khoya 2 kgs.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Desi Ghee 2 tbsps</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Sugar 300 gms x2 </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Water 1 litre</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">1) Heat the Ghee in a heavy bottomed kadhai, add the khoya and keep stirring till it turns brown.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">2) Dissolve 300 gms of sugar in water, bring it to a boil and remove it from the heat, once the sugar is dissolved.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">3) Add the other 300 gms of sugar to the brown Khoya and stir continuously till the sugar integrates fully. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">4) Now add the sugar water and keep stirring till the mixture reaches the consistency where a dollop of it comes away clean off the surface, when cool.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">5) Pour this mixture on to a plate. Let it cool.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">6) Cut it into inch high pieces which are six to seven inches in length.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">7) Dip two to three pieces at a time , in the sugar syrup and roll in sugar balls</p>Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-70237353939389553922021-02-02T18:22:00.148+05:302021-02-05T21:57:55.786+05:30A wee dram of the Scottish Highlands <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qHtUbQcw7Zj4rR7IpSKwquWAnMGqmy4jQdMhBbJks-GTxNlQY-uw1FWYOiAon0fp0tQM7ke2N53JdMlYJ0Cz9tFa6uIKgQF4qpnlWuNrgbzFhokCiIXvnoAe9f-fK5UO8ruuTcItbDIY/s2048/IMG_5439.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qHtUbQcw7Zj4rR7IpSKwquWAnMGqmy4jQdMhBbJks-GTxNlQY-uw1FWYOiAon0fp0tQM7ke2N53JdMlYJ0Cz9tFa6uIKgQF4qpnlWuNrgbzFhokCiIXvnoAe9f-fK5UO8ruuTcItbDIY/w640-h480/IMG_5439.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;">The
line between a tourist and a traveller is a slim one. We were travellers who
landed in London en route to Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The London boxes - the London Eye, Buckingham
Palace, The Tower of London, the Thames River Cruise, Madame Tussaud's, 221
Bakers Street and the </span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="PT" style="line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;">museums</span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;">, had all been
ticked on an earlier visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>London was
dull, dreary, tired and full of cigarette smoke. The human at the Immigration
Desk showed not a whiff of manners and could not care less. It was your fault
that he was unhappy; why were you there at all! Gatwick was disorganized and
close to dirty. The cab drivers could well have been robots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It boded ill. What if Scotland was the same?
We had travelled a long way, assigning time and money that had a million other
demands on them, hoping to enjoy a bit of the Scottish Highlands, starting with
Edinburgh, moving on to Inverness and driving up further north.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlJFttq8D0f3ruVaWMBTFXAD5QIHkhavK4g9iimalNWT8ovJDkbyXg3vkFjd_2G7mMVgjtUimrignZPmLa7R93IWTzjN6y5hEXjYN7nzZtkvddInm6qqOQtVsAbvO-V90hgm7Ad2Ew5ep/s2048/IMG_1332.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlJFttq8D0f3ruVaWMBTFXAD5QIHkhavK4g9iimalNWT8ovJDkbyXg3vkFjd_2G7mMVgjtUimrignZPmLa7R93IWTzjN6y5hEXjYN7nzZtkvddInm6qqOQtVsAbvO-V90hgm7Ad2Ew5ep/w480-h640/IMG_1332.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><p></p>
<p class="Body" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">We
started anyway, from King's Cross Station (yes, the same station from where
Harry Potter leaves for Hogwarts), on the route of The Flying Scotsman, to
Edinburgh. A bit of interesting trivia here: Edinburgh is the capital of
Scotland and the second most visited city in the UK after London. In fact, the
entire city of Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Edinburgh has the
highest percentage of professionals in the UK; almost 43% of its population
possess a degree level or professional qualification. A bastion of Banking,
Finance, Education and Research for centuries, even today, the University draws
the best in all disciplines. The Edinburgh Festival, the largest of its kind in
the world and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August draw thousands from
around the world and generate almost a hundred million Pounds for the 'toonies'
as the inhabitants of Edinburgh are known. The first hour of the journey,
passing through the ubiquitous industrial environs surrounding railway
stations, was unexceptional. But the latter half compensated adequately with
sweeping views of the Durham Castle, the Tweed River, the Royal Bridge and
finally the famed English Coast. We stepped off the train at Waverly Station,
Edinburgh, into what felt like a Medieval Town, steeped in history and
heritage. From the ancient architecture of most buildings, small charming shops
selling Scottish woolens and cobbled streets with quaint names like the Royal
Mile, Pleasance, Candlemaker Row, Fair-a-far, to the Castles perched on the
surrounding Hills around and the omnipresent bagpiper in kilts, it felt like
one giant step back in time, but thankfully with WIFI and Uber! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JAldnuiUnr8kC6_b1of1PREuNLUY-l9vFbo0VNZEd97sNtZqlTv2ZwYkrWOGQq5PAtdfQuAu_foCvlID_jOK0siYGRmu6TZxBZtI6mXUf5jGWuCm8I-rMQIQN10K4G2YDaHd8-M84OL4/s2048/IMG_5466.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JAldnuiUnr8kC6_b1of1PREuNLUY-l9vFbo0VNZEd97sNtZqlTv2ZwYkrWOGQq5PAtdfQuAu_foCvlID_jOK0siYGRmu6TZxBZtI6mXUf5jGWuCm8I-rMQIQN10K4G2YDaHd8-M84OL4/w480-h640/IMG_5466.jpeg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;">Edinburgh
has enough for a good three days. The Edinburgh Castle itself merits a day, not
just because of the Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny, but also for the
enactments of the Castle History by costumed actors and the Castle of Light
show in the evening. Then, those with a strong heart and guts of steel have the
Ghost Tours, the night tours of the Haunted vaults of the Edinburgh castle and
more. Fans of the Royal family can enjoy the Royal yacht Britannica, now
retired and moored at Edinburgh and stop by at Holyrood Palace, where the Royal
family resides, when in Scotland. For the scholarly, there is the Museum of
Scotland and the National Art galleries. For the tourist, there are the vistas
from Arthur's Seat, the Scott monument; a tribute to the writer Walter Scott
and the Royal Botanic Garden with its giant lily pads and 10 glass houses.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">However, the show-stopper is clearly the
Camera Obscura, located in a small non- descript part of the castle. Camera
Obscura, the 184 year old invention of Maria Short, for which she was called a
witch, shows you, in real time, the entire vista around Edinburgh Palace on a
big circular table, complete with people walking past and cars moving around.
Clever optical illusions enable you to even pick them up in your palm or swat
them like flies. And all this without using even electricity, forget
technology! With an entertaining narrative by talented staff, five enthralling
floors and two hours of illusions, mind play and physics, the Camera Obscura is
a winner.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53-BTqz4yGK22rOHeO87_3GsAdJiquzJZpKiHpq9MXdjXaLdGj6O_F3JVT6jTEANMvR55KcBIkqHJ1YHfrf1O9JdlFTZFMw3tYhn9FKeT_8DIZMiDaUtTY4LbIGMCxvkF7vrWy2IHuVwK/s2048/IMG_5576.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53-BTqz4yGK22rOHeO87_3GsAdJiquzJZpKiHpq9MXdjXaLdGj6O_F3JVT6jTEANMvR55KcBIkqHJ1YHfrf1O9JdlFTZFMw3tYhn9FKeT_8DIZMiDaUtTY4LbIGMCxvkF7vrWy2IHuVwK/w480-h640/IMG_5576.jpeg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Driving Into The Sunset On An Endless Road</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<p class="Body" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A
few days in Edinburgh, with its ancient edifices, castles and vaults can leave
you feeling a bit closed in, pun intended. So, we picked up a car and hit the road
to Inverness which is the capital of and the gateway to the Scottish Highlands
- a drive of four hours. "Inbhir Nis", as it was known, actually
means "Mouth of River Ness". It is quiet and beautiful with the River
Ness flowing right through the city. Honestly, the will to leave the window of
our room overlooking the river, was non-existent. It was only the prospect of
driving Up North, that made us step out. En route we stopped by at Scotland's
most well-known icon, Loch Ness, the most voluminous lake in England. With a
depth of 755 feet, it has more water than all the lakes of England and Wales
put together. Legend rules supreme here. Starting with Nessie, the elusive
monster of Loch Ness, and the Witches Rock, it is legend and myth, packaged and
presented to seem absolutely plausible. We took the forty-five-minute Loch Ness
cruise, which proved to be the best way to enjoy this stunning lake and the
scenery around it.</span></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbrJWFqGZMJ4y5UjfeSg0vsNzE7J8ZSnQ94xqDv6uFZiK1T8hy9nejRYaCVWOleQbp8rZgO4g-0LPftdgmUVir0GYmdFgfUADwWUhH0llS7rcIqwKSX-cZwEAAPINkc_qNgubh-VKSNjl/s2048/IMG_5624+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbrJWFqGZMJ4y5UjfeSg0vsNzE7J8ZSnQ94xqDv6uFZiK1T8hy9nejRYaCVWOleQbp8rZgO4g-0LPftdgmUVir0GYmdFgfUADwWUhH0llS7rcIqwKSX-cZwEAAPINkc_qNgubh-VKSNjl/w640-h480/IMG_5624+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Quiet Flows the Inverness</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;">On
the road again, we had a choice to either drive up North to Ben Nevis, the
tallest peak on that side of the world or head towards the Isle of Skye, one of
the northern most points of Scotland, the coin dropped on the Isle of Skye and
a good choice it was. Sheer green expanses stretching on either side,
punctuated by startling blue lochs every now and then, while the road rose and
dipped at will and cut through Scottish towns with names that are the ultimate
tongue twisters. Also, no matter where you drive in the Highlands, there is
always a distillery at hand, making a distillery tour de rigeur. We chose to
visit one on an island named Rasay, in the middle of a lake, the approach to
which is by a ferry. It was certainly an experience to drive the car into the
ferry, scamper up to the top deck and enjoy half an hour of utter peace with shaggy
Highland Cows grazing on the greenest pastures in the middle of a blue lake
against the silent and mysterious hills.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes; text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;">A very informative distillery tour revealed why and how the best of
spirits came from the region. But that is a story for another day.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThUW0n9U1JhwggYv0FLZDGpSsJ2e7oy-bgOFz5x6lAqlUvxS1jYQSQUnVaBJOxgrtvvjebRuIVuGZ4H27zmeG3_9vaskLWe4gyEwi2IP0aYtUlI5xT3Yftij9UyL9sdm6aZ764XGqryvk/s2048/IMG_5905.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThUW0n9U1JhwggYv0FLZDGpSsJ2e7oy-bgOFz5x6lAqlUvxS1jYQSQUnVaBJOxgrtvvjebRuIVuGZ4H27zmeG3_9vaskLWe4gyEwi2IP0aYtUlI5xT3Yftij9UyL9sdm6aZ764XGqryvk/w640-h481/IMG_5905.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><div><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUppCXeaMARvGmL-ks1In1BAo-_kK8ZpZ1MpPAdqXOf00dT-NbPyHFnD1yS-1XGvA1HT2AgXC8BinAswF38BB5mTR407pHAeS5zWgYS2NOv8o7_Zlrf2_McP7KT_x3_Zf_4kwlV8za5Mb/s2048/IMG_5959.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUppCXeaMARvGmL-ks1In1BAo-_kK8ZpZ1MpPAdqXOf00dT-NbPyHFnD1yS-1XGvA1HT2AgXC8BinAswF38BB5mTR407pHAeS5zWgYS2NOv8o7_Zlrf2_McP7KT_x3_Zf_4kwlV8za5Mb/w640-h480/IMG_5959.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utter Peace</td></tr></tbody></table><div><span><br /></span></div><div>Scotland
has cities other than Edinburgh and Inverness, like Glasgow, Aberdeen and
Dundee, that offer activity and adventure to the tourist. For the traveller,
the roads less taken throw up pleasant revelations, Breathtaking treks,
literally and figuratively and distilleries producing the finest dram. Whether
it’s a journey on the iconic Jacobite that Harry Potter took to Hogwarts or an
overnight sojourn by the epic Caledonian Sleeper, sampling the authentic
Scottish cuisine (not for the faint hearted) and reliving the tumultuous
history between Scotland and Britain, there is no dearth of things to do. Or
you could just pick up a car, load your favourite music and drive on and away
to the corner of the world. Undoubtedly, there is a beauty, solitude and peace
in the Scottish Highlands and although relatively heavier on the pockets, it is
maximum bang for the buck. But, in all cases, just pray for fine weather!</div></div></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br />Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-85048613567488769452020-06-11T10:48:00.001+05:302020-06-11T10:51:00.538+05:30The Land of High Passes - Published in Intrepid Times, April 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Publication link : </i><a href="https://intrepidtimes.com/2020/04/the-land-of-high-passes/"><i>https://intrepidtimes.com/2020/04/the-land-of-high-passes/</i></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK01gFMLRLwWQTaYSZoG4Z0-AoOc_5cK_S2dJwDhdJcSaMLRyZKWnZ_aGRwWhbdP45VTqwS4eyJNIX7mcFI-Rsw1usPwT52VCkSqgkMqL090hkv45RgPO_w5Rq7ANRSTzl-oHHMg9WVhSn/s1600/Ladakh1-scaled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK01gFMLRLwWQTaYSZoG4Z0-AoOc_5cK_S2dJwDhdJcSaMLRyZKWnZ_aGRwWhbdP45VTqwS4eyJNIX7mcFI-Rsw1usPwT52VCkSqgkMqL090hkv45RgPO_w5Rq7ANRSTzl-oHHMg9WVhSn/s640/Ladakh1-scaled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dangerous weather on India’s highest plateau forces a traveler to choose between safety and adventure.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I gave up telling people my plans to go to Ladakh because the responses were hardly encouraging.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Why Ladakh, of all the places in Jammu and Kashmir? You will get shot by the militants!”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“People die there because they don’t have enough oxygen.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Are you becoming a Buddhist monk?” </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Most of those who visited Ladakh were Himalayan trekkers, Buddhist devotees who came to the monasteries or the families of army personnel posted there. Today it is one of India’s most sought-after tourist destinations. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Ensconced in the Upper Indus Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, straddling the Upper Himalayas and the Karakoram Range, much of Ladakh’s territory lies above 9900 feet, making it India’s highest plateau. Ladakh itself means “The Land (Dakh) of High Passes (La).” It was ruled by Tibetan Namgyals until 1834, when a Kashmiri Dogra king annexed it and made it a part of Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, it became a part of India when the Maharaja of Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947. Today, it is India’s newest Union Territory. With Xinjiang (in Northwest China) to its far north, Jammu and Kashmir to its West, and Tibet to its East, Ladakh is a sensitive area, subject to frequent incursions from China and Pakistan, so the Indian Army is ubiquitous here. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I fly into Ladakh from New Delhi, across the magnificent Himalayas, to land at the 10,692 feet-high Kushok Bakula Rinpoche airport in Leh. The airport is not only one of the world’s highest civilian airports but also one of the most dangerous because of the powerful and unpredictable mountain winds that become perilous after noon. Flights to and from Ladakh operate only in the morning. I step out of the aircraft to a gust of wind that whooshes straight into my ears and up my nose as I scurry into an airport lobby teeming with army personnel. </div>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-3215" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-1024x768.jpg" srcset="https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></figure><br />
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A floor-to-ceiling board advises tourists to acclimatize by remaining hydrated and inactive for the first 24 hours. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Madam, last week one disobedient teenager jumped around excitedly here in the airport. She died,” says a woman army officer as she frisks me. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Acclimatization is crucial here. Ladakh lies in the rain-shadow region of the Himalayas. It sits above the tree line and therefore has sparse greenery. This, coupled with thin air because of the high altitude, results in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, which can cause varying degrees of Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) with symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. Failure to acclimatize could lead to HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema) and HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Oedema), both of which can be fatal. I step out of the airport a little scared, but to a vista that leaves me open mouthed — an utterly close, deep blue sky that seems to lift the mountains encircling the airport. I want to reach up and swipe a bit of blue but close my mouth at the sight of a grinning face holding up a placard bearing my name. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Jhulay,” he says. He is Karma, my Tibetan guide and the driver who may have been grinning more at the unedifying sight of my open mouth than in greeting.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“It means ‘welcome’ in Ladakhi,” he clarifies as I bend to haul my bag into his SUV.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Oh, do not exert!” he admonishes. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“I will lift. We go now to hotel and you rest!”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The hotel is a pleasant surprise because it is the only one with an oxygen room! At the front office, Lobsang welcomes me with kahwa, an amber coloured, steaming herbal concoction. “It helps you to acclimatize madam. Please rest today in your room.” </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Now, I am scared and sleepy. I crash within minutes. During intermittent bouts of wakefulness that are defined by a crushing lethargy and a sharp headache, I wonder if I have been reckless. I have neither the appetite nor the energy to have lunch, but somehow I force myself to drink water at regular intervals. Twenty-four hours later, I am fine, fully acclimatized and raring to go.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Spend a day exploring Leh before climbing higher,” says the doctor at the hotel.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I start with the War Museum. Established by the Indian Army, the War Museum poignantly chronicles the valour of the Indian soldier — the scrawl of a six-year-old to her father who went down fighting, a letter from a father to his son telling him how proud he was, which reached him only after the son had died in battle. The walls carry stories of the spirit and courage of the Indian soldier and inspirational quotes, while exhibits simulate war strategies. My next stop is the Shanti Stupa at 13,999 feet. This white dome mounted on a rectangular base, built by a Japanese Buddhist monk and consecrated by the Dalai Lama himself, contains the relics of the Buddha. Karma then takes me to the nine-story Leh Palace. Perched precariously on the Tsemo Mountain, the Palace, now in ruins, reflects the simple life of Ladakhi royalty<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span> I round off my day with the Palace Museum, and adjoining it is a treasure trove of 450-year-old Tanghka paintings, Ladakhi jewellery and Tibetan handlooms and handicraft. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Let us go to the monasteries now, Karma,” I say.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Monasteries are the axis of Ladakhi life. Families make offerings of produce from their land and even their sons as a thanksgiving to the monasteries. They then consult the monks on all vital issues. We start with the Hemis monastery, the oldest and wealthiest, and follow it with those at Lamayuru, Thiksey, and Alchi. Each of them resembles the other, all done up in startling reds, vivid greens, bold blues and bright yellows, perhaps as a sub-conscious response to the colourless surroundings. The walls are painted with murals of Gods and demons with exaggerated features, and ceremonial drapes adorn the altar while awnings and flags flap in the strong winds. Monks chant in a low monotone while little maroon-robed boys play boisterous games between classes without disturbing the serenity. As I visit the monasteries, I settle into a deep calm. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I am now ready for the Khardung La Pass — supposedly the highest motorable road in the world at 18,360 feet. We leave Leh in the early hours of a grey, windy morning with two small oxygen canisters, water, and dry fruit, just in case we are stuck on the Pass because of heavy snowfall. As the road climbs from 11,200 feet, the brown mountains with blue, mauve, and grey chips of stone give way to huge glaciers that look like mounds of soft vanilla ice cream. There is not even a bird sound, and the hush is surreal. Vehicles move in a convoy on a narrow strip of a road slippery with ice and dented with potholes. </div>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-3214" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-1024x768.jpg" srcset="https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://intrepidtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ladakh2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></figure><br />
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Do not stay out beyond three to four minutes, and please do not jump or run,” Karma warns me as he inches the vehicle up to the top of the Pass. At 18,360 feet, AMS can strike swift and hard.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I step out to what is the closest I can get to being on top of the world. There is blinding snow all around and a high-decibel, howling wind that threatens to blow me off. Yet all I am aware of is a deafening, desolate silence and the stoic soldiers of the Indian Army, who, for months together, brave the avalanches, icy winds, subsistence conditions and the utter isolation at the high altitude army base here. They watch me closely, and within a few seconds of my stepping out, ask me to get back into the car and call out to Karma.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“We cannot cross the pass to Nubra,” says Karma. “They say that there has been fresh snowfall and the vehicles that went yesterday have been stuck all night on the pass. So we must turn back.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Across the Khardungla Pass lies the Nubra valley, where the Nubra River and the green walnut, apricot, and almond trees present a startling contrast to the stark, almost dichromatic beauty of Ladakh. We were supposed to spend the night in a tent under a huge full moon, ride the Bactrian camels found only in the higher regions of Mongolia, China, and Kashmir and visit the hot sulphur springs at Panamik, the last inhabited village on the way to the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. I send up a prayer for the tourists stuck all night at 16,000 feet. We return to Leh. Karma insists that I see the Magnetic Hill, an upward slope on a seemingly endless road which vehicles “climb” with the ignition switched off. He gives me exotic explanations, and I let him think I believe him, knowing all the while that the effect is because of an optical illusion. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Tomorrow, you will enjoy Pangong Tso (Lake). The water in the lake changes colours many times, even during a single day. 60% of the lake lies in Chinese territory while 40% lies in India,” Karma says, trying to cheer me up.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But Pangong Tso eludes me just like Nubra and the Bactrian camels did. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
It is not the clearest of mornings when we start the five-hour drive to Pangong Lake via the 17,600 feet high Chang La Pass. The road seems like it is almost chiselled out of the sheer side of the mountains. Khardung La seems much safer. Halfway through, the snow comes down in thick swirls. The defence personnel at the army outpost at 15,000 feet advise the drivers to put chains around their tyres to prevent skidding on the hard ice and move in convoy. It’s all scary but exciting. The drivers weave the chains around the tires carefully, and the convoy moves. Every gradient is a blind turn tinged with the frightening prospect of a fatal tumble, but every driver is negotiating it expertly. At the penultimate bend, Karma stops. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“The snow is not looking good. It seems dangerous. We can cross the pass and reach the lake, but it may not be possible to return today, and you are flying out tomorrow,” said Karma.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I remember the army personnel saying, “Take care. Turn back if the snow is thick.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I am disappointed. There is just one more bend, and we are already at 17,000 feet.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“What do you suggest?” I asked Karma.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Not good. We go back,” he says and reverses the vehicle. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
It is the scariest moment of my life. We are at 17,600 feet, there is near-zero visibility on a road no wider than three or four feet, and Karma is reversing. The next thing I remember is Karma saying, “Madam, we have reached the hotel!” I pour myself out of the car, crawl up to the room, and teach myself to breathe normally. Later that evening, we get the distressing news that a tourist in the convoy got down to photograph the last bend, stepped back into what he thought was firm ground, and fell into a seemingly bottomless pile of snow. The army was still looking for his body, but incessant snowfall was hampering their search operations. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Thank you for turning back Karma,” I tell him on my way to the airport.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“You must come back,” he replies. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Yes, I must. I must come back to see the Indus River, also known as “Sindhu,” where the Indo Aryan civilisation was born. I must come back to visit the villages of Dha and Hanu to meet the last of the pure Aryans, believed to have descended from Alexander of Macedonia. I must come back to star-gaze from the world’s highest observatory at Hanle. I must come back by road, crossing the five high-altitude passes. And, I must come back for Pangong Tso and Nubra.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(103, 103, 103); color: #676767; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 27px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But as I board the plane, I realize that I don’t want to leave Ladakh at all. </div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-68776147017029613432020-04-27T19:38:00.001+05:302021-04-09T16:10:35.174+05:30The Smoking Earth of New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
New Zealand lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of intense seismic activity that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. This is the cause for the high level of geo thermal activity in New Zealand resulting in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, interesting boiling mud pools, smoking land and steaming lakes. <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2012/12/smoke-on-water-published-in-hindu.html" target="_blank">Rotorua </a>in New Zealand's North Island, is one such city with high geo thermal activity.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRfmM5BYZ9U3qEXQc2NtrlDPrAaRor6Gz7BW0uzkG4DF-BgPS7i1vAKzBcU_dDn7HXcwJ3aqCwdI97iATjKG6sPrJZpMpOCd5QjU5LIvV3T5K7nPfPMa5VXJaGUL5qOqgVW0TistuzQGu/s1600/DSC02914.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRfmM5BYZ9U3qEXQc2NtrlDPrAaRor6Gz7BW0uzkG4DF-BgPS7i1vAKzBcU_dDn7HXcwJ3aqCwdI97iATjKG6sPrJZpMpOCd5QjU5LIvV3T5K7nPfPMa5VXJaGUL5qOqgVW0TistuzQGu/s640/DSC02914.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Rotorua enjoying an early morning smoke thanks to the Geo thermal activity in the earth beneath!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Eu-3FPgM9KiZeYsqFfPo0ieDCK5vxNhV6kBSba8K1NKzeonSbUE91M4XTsJ1L73m0Jyvos3dt2igSHIxd6M8RzbOszsaPIMwPfSplzQDgZvkkNXE7EruyRj4OtexaSzNQ5b4FIvZg6d/s1600/DSC02945.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Eu-3FPgM9KiZeYsqFfPo0ieDCK5vxNhV6kBSba8K1NKzeonSbUE91M4XTsJ1L73m0Jyvos3dt2igSHIxd6M8RzbOszsaPIMwPfSplzQDgZvkkNXE7EruyRj4OtexaSzNQ5b4FIvZg6d/s640/DSC02945.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We chose the Waimangu Volcanic Valley in Rotorua to explore the geothermal wonders of New Zealand. Waimangu Volcanic Forest is the youngest Geo thermal system in the world and holds within its forests, an amazing variety of flora and fauna and stunning crater lakes formed during volcanic eruptions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4QE5eO-A4eTmisZ14XskayXbSHsC8EhwsMvaHCP5ODS5VKCqG9EK-sQkg5Hrt17vWakGWIkgB22b2CutKJLmpwa5fdYpXzjYEdqRZOiZ86Upz4NuhHTvEy2tHsOVi6SR1G_KVg-0EN6E/s1600/DSC02957.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4QE5eO-A4eTmisZ14XskayXbSHsC8EhwsMvaHCP5ODS5VKCqG9EK-sQkg5Hrt17vWakGWIkgB22b2CutKJLmpwa5fdYpXzjYEdqRZOiZ86Upz4NuhHTvEy2tHsOVi6SR1G_KVg-0EN6E/s640/DSC02957.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rare Ferns of various types and in various hues peep out from the beautiful trees that line the forest path</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgD-7Q4Zoql3XvbwTl_rG8lqspBCExeZiDiqn3zWs08It_dffLi97uGipLMerO0pat4SeWguZsygg3xRtmkw8x1BnOD_GDBpX7vYxoQ1SQa8LR4OM0Y8RZKwxxnHFNyh4SnuEnEjHnXxd4/s1600/DSC02958.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgD-7Q4Zoql3XvbwTl_rG8lqspBCExeZiDiqn3zWs08It_dffLi97uGipLMerO0pat4SeWguZsygg3xRtmkw8x1BnOD_GDBpX7vYxoQ1SQa8LR4OM0Y8RZKwxxnHFNyh4SnuEnEjHnXxd4/s640/DSC02958.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Smoking Valley! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1kbNG4t5K-UFfZAAKh4Ufj-ch6cFywvktZW6t5EL0JnjkY5mx0qP0Gbe23DCNZj37-JZc9cNpnLAenl32a7KwtettmbDgMvKOR7MgSwv5_UoLGgC7EDlyGNBrcM6nOeu8AZsrMTHoxbP/s1600/DSC02949.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1kbNG4t5K-UFfZAAKh4Ufj-ch6cFywvktZW6t5EL0JnjkY5mx0qP0Gbe23DCNZj37-JZc9cNpnLAenl32a7KwtettmbDgMvKOR7MgSwv5_UoLGgC7EDlyGNBrcM6nOeu8AZsrMTHoxbP/s640/DSC02949.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crater Lake formed ages back when the volcano erupted</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1kbNG4t5K-UFfZAAKh4Ufj-ch6cFywvktZW6t5EL0JnjkY5mx0qP0Gbe23DCNZj37-JZc9cNpnLAenl32a7KwtettmbDgMvKOR7MgSwv5_UoLGgC7EDlyGNBrcM6nOeu8AZsrMTHoxbP/s1600/DSC02949.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_aXx4Ror8HychSTAoWJe3JxBj9bv7A4Dp4Z7SGJgkwtjj8dt5XGwuEJW8Wlt3OjOna8BOHWzSHkDkC3kNS9v_OvBvlGgGbOUR5vCEVF6W9k03HPh1-ib8LUc6pq4S1kYeonfi4B1epy1/s1600/DSC02973.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_aXx4Ror8HychSTAoWJe3JxBj9bv7A4Dp4Z7SGJgkwtjj8dt5XGwuEJW8Wlt3OjOna8BOHWzSHkDkC3kNS9v_OvBvlGgGbOUR5vCEVF6W9k03HPh1-ib8LUc6pq4S1kYeonfi4B1epy1/s640/DSC02973.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frying Pan Lake </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicoCd61CXu05lBP0EZ8FEc0z8hwiN0EdRwG6ZouEzHmAJnwDosTXcB6jzHvvEED7Ld5ZkARr9Gmxpg0BMvrCwK7cvm8W3EZIGlEu6w1V3mMWyiKUMOYPKk5FoZivOT2O55_QCDEDZv4Qi/s1600/DSC02956.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicoCd61CXu05lBP0EZ8FEc0z8hwiN0EdRwG6ZouEzHmAJnwDosTXcB6jzHvvEED7Ld5ZkARr9Gmxpg0BMvrCwK7cvm8W3EZIGlEu6w1V3mMWyiKUMOYPKk5FoZivOT2O55_QCDEDZv4Qi/s640/DSC02956.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that water or oil?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz-JFZ9HdDJoXxigLtkWf43hSgqV6CRvnVeRv2nHpfH7cq1RNnQn-KKzRRrUZVFj5poTpdfT90ZOUwkGDUJFiqQLX0TSrjL2PSsffskjvT7uXT1z9VBGyZF2pmZROKKdz67gpUKeplxzE/s1600/DSC03005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz-JFZ9HdDJoXxigLtkWf43hSgqV6CRvnVeRv2nHpfH7cq1RNnQn-KKzRRrUZVFj5poTpdfT90ZOUwkGDUJFiqQLX0TSrjL2PSsffskjvT7uXT1z9VBGyZF2pmZROKKdz67gpUKeplxzE/s640/DSC03005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Inferno Lake, another crater lake that changes colours many times in a day. It was a beautiful translucent blue for us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACiKAnptp3ObIiS_XVlrrtskFH82d0HiEXby_CVXiv10gZTY7U3OeNC5xL_F_jhBJLUQL0P2EMjXFAQ2-cpZr5Sm4wWasdDNgcuNt9NipuqGHy985HedX1EcjAY002sq7oK7AcqljFYu7/s1600/DSC03022.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACiKAnptp3ObIiS_XVlrrtskFH82d0HiEXby_CVXiv10gZTY7U3OeNC5xL_F_jhBJLUQL0P2EMjXFAQ2-cpZr5Sm4wWasdDNgcuNt9NipuqGHy985HedX1EcjAY002sq7oK7AcqljFYu7/s640/DSC03022.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Rotomahana inside the Waimangu Valley was a small body of water till the eruption of the volcano, Mount Tarawera. in 1886. The eruption created a crater several times larger. Water filled this crater forming Lake Rotomahana, the deepest lake in the North Island of New Zealand. A cruise on the idyllic lake enabled us to see small active geothermal spots on the surrounding mountains and spluttering geysers that sent spirals of smoke up into the air.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2h4TGRJRg7Y8czwSPyBAdTQAvlXsg1US9Ab-Nd3vlowFB-NDo-8rDbIibZ4uqWzMUIBfFIfl3TPejWWY-pCrZhLuFLuJMNSKJ01jfGRKCU9_I4h0GImh2rESXeam6UcbfEw1e3LJvb8X-/s1600/DSC03046.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2h4TGRJRg7Y8czwSPyBAdTQAvlXsg1US9Ab-Nd3vlowFB-NDo-8rDbIibZ4uqWzMUIBfFIfl3TPejWWY-pCrZhLuFLuJMNSKJ01jfGRKCU9_I4h0GImh2rESXeam6UcbfEw1e3LJvb8X-/s640/DSC03046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-50968074595075609032020-03-21T00:30:00.003+05:302021-04-09T16:27:28.051+05:30Quick Reads - Chi Lin Nunnery and Gardens, Hong Kong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoube80zYcQtSvYO1iwR2AOA5BXogv7yDXL_O7qlvtaLnMyRGc4f38d4FBVl8es4qvOmmmIqemFGJzq8W3IwhpHZTaSGxT1twhVGhfcSG9tJHGtzrC_wH1_rA_A3zzlcm0u9lQfBta-6I8/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoube80zYcQtSvYO1iwR2AOA5BXogv7yDXL_O7qlvtaLnMyRGc4f38d4FBVl8es4qvOmmmIqemFGJzq8W3IwhpHZTaSGxT1twhVGhfcSG9tJHGtzrC_wH1_rA_A3zzlcm0u9lQfBta-6I8/s640/IMG_0203.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not a single nail!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Once upon a time, when<a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2019/02/a-handy-travel-guide-to-hong-kong.html" target="_blank"> Hong Kong</a> was without protests and the Covid -19, I happened to stumble upon a gem. Right in the middle of the city, surrounded by the sky hugging buildings, I found the Chi Lin Nunnery and the Nan Lian Gardens - an oasis of aesthetics and serenity. The Chi Lin Nunnery was built in 1938. Much later it was rebuilt in 1988 according to the architectural principles of the Tang Dyansty. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKHzDaz2HPq3Zm_7_UO-CnRrd91GZCz7o8ShfKiYZE1FuG6PIVBrqafSIxXeU6dD2UedLiez83_lyt1yIrCa_06ZNfF83PLZWALPpBIQ7U1SASy1FJmerLqe7GP-Llk4LmMVm1-cch6q6/s1600/IMG_0236.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKHzDaz2HPq3Zm_7_UO-CnRrd91GZCz7o8ShfKiYZE1FuG6PIVBrqafSIxXeU6dD2UedLiez83_lyt1yIrCa_06ZNfF83PLZWALPpBIQ7U1SASy1FJmerLqe7GP-Llk4LmMVm1-cch6q6/s640/IMG_0236.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Waterfall around the restaurant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was another world and another age that I had entered into and the restaurant vanished from my consciousness. Spread over 33,000 square metres, the Chi Lin Nunnery is believed to be the largest hand made wooden structure in the world. What is unique about it is that, there is not a single nail used in this building! The entire structure is held together by a special interlocking system cut into each piece of wood. Across a beautiful bridge near the nunnery is the Nan Lian garden with exquisite landscaping, small hills, water bodies, rocks and trees. The entire experience of both the garden and the nunnery is quite simply overwhelming. Especially, you have gone there primarily, for the vegetarian restaurant run by the nuns, like I had. The restaurant itself was artistic and beautiful, enveloped in greenery with a waterfall along one wall. Despite the restaurant being full, all we heard was the gentle sound of this water.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4EgYq-wwgqAN-ckwSabF1c0mWIO7EjFx3ok4KUOuKC5udcFn5oHQa65H95eesbqPZnP6cY5hKzba1n1osrzCAgMte9BmawVAamhRb7hs0sstWkhlw7rUFns0sYkGKNaI0vhm_784i0HV/s1600/IMG_2283.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4EgYq-wwgqAN-ckwSabF1c0mWIO7EjFx3ok4KUOuKC5udcFn5oHQa65H95eesbqPZnP6cY5hKzba1n1osrzCAgMte9BmawVAamhRb7hs0sstWkhlw7rUFns0sYkGKNaI0vhm_784i0HV/s640/IMG_2283.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Serene and Surreal </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had to go back. It was simply too beautiful. This time I visited Chi Lin in the night. It was like a fairy tale. Little lights ensconced in the trees threw pools of light creating a surreal yet magical ambience and yes, the food is delicious!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-85854726904690884492020-03-18T23:10:00.000+05:302020-03-21T00:59:34.402+05:30Glimpses - The Perfect Road Trip to the Scottish Highlands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSazN52Yr8Puyt5SI_xqS2OUM686AhkkRdRVsGtE8awj4U0v7IvA-EDBOeXqHhclDbm1B2UWKBmczcGDgqY5kmAy8g-ulfHysYG-dD7cEcbkxrencNhefN2N19PGV4oLcUXDjcrGPgEb-A/s1600/IMG_5443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSazN52Yr8Puyt5SI_xqS2OUM686AhkkRdRVsGtE8awj4U0v7IvA-EDBOeXqHhclDbm1B2UWKBmczcGDgqY5kmAy8g-ulfHysYG-dD7cEcbkxrencNhefN2N19PGV4oLcUXDjcrGPgEb-A/s640/IMG_5443.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>We start at Edinburgh with the Scotts Monument, a tribute to one of Edinburgh's most famous sons, Sir Walter Scott - writer, poet, playwright and historical novelist. A compelling presence in the centre of the Town, this 200 feet Gothic Structure has an interesting story behind it. In 1832, after Sir Walter Scotts's death, a competition was held to select the best design, George Miekle Kemp, a daftsman and self taught architect was sure he would be disqualified since he was not a professional architect. He sent in his design under the pseudonym John Morvo and his design won the competition. The Scotts Monument was inaugurated on the 15th of August 1846, but Kemp did not live to see it. He had fallen to his death in the Union Canal, on the foggy evening of the 6th of March, while returning home from the site! A sobering thought, as the eyes scale up the intricately carved, eerie monument. </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5s3ArtHI8S_oD65Xl2o6ttNmZoc0PRvOMgsFX8fCVn7z0lnQXAWF2yxTOgOiHaqjopuaPHlJvLIqeIjhRMJIeSV-7QsTlM6qODVCZhEFS-g1u15FyYMLoCbND09jD6wkeuMVblCvflLD/s1600/IMG_5518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5s3ArtHI8S_oD65Xl2o6ttNmZoc0PRvOMgsFX8fCVn7z0lnQXAWF2yxTOgOiHaqjopuaPHlJvLIqeIjhRMJIeSV-7QsTlM6qODVCZhEFS-g1u15FyYMLoCbND09jD6wkeuMVblCvflLD/s640/IMG_5518.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Out of Edinburgh and onward to the Highlands</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzzVwJyvnNqjQxZBDTICFT1WVchSGBiJlatvLqEp848POHsPPmJuxoFlWFHZv6FPp7wPUjgAQCNkon8we9qyf9v0MGErWMX0IYO2HiYiVoGUbYpdizMcVKLSYcIslGihA529Qu8EwV2U1/s1600/IMG_5556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzzVwJyvnNqjQxZBDTICFT1WVchSGBiJlatvLqEp848POHsPPmJuxoFlWFHZv6FPp7wPUjgAQCNkon8we9qyf9v0MGErWMX0IYO2HiYiVoGUbYpdizMcVKLSYcIslGihA529Qu8EwV2U1/s640/IMG_5556.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Through The Cairngorms National Park - all quiet and so soothing</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41tKi4Jkc0rLu3I769e3OPsJgO-5rpkn94V8uF2dJWQz1lkQl1JM5S-EoC8BDy2TmyAf2QGi46AA45wffzTdnyh-E63-URPwjtULKW76NcsUYJhyphenhyphenlyy9834HhG1OWg80Uqf4zOH5FZJEy/s1600/IMG_5546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41tKi4Jkc0rLu3I769e3OPsJgO-5rpkn94V8uF2dJWQz1lkQl1JM5S-EoC8BDy2TmyAf2QGi46AA45wffzTdnyh-E63-URPwjtULKW76NcsUYJhyphenhyphenlyy9834HhG1OWg80Uqf4zOH5FZJEy/s640/IMG_5546.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAKaWLyNdCWtm-IiSZ4VFqkTwLlO_pPQSFGCu9fEe7K_EegcL7az98mBoPipqHY-Id6szafzkf7Vk8XxgqrQnoog_-RLSZtCTW2ESlLmGZ-xlA89YuT5ErqtylbD3fa9h2_4oYa9UxTxV/s1600/IMG_5661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAKaWLyNdCWtm-IiSZ4VFqkTwLlO_pPQSFGCu9fEe7K_EegcL7az98mBoPipqHY-Id6szafzkf7Vk8XxgqrQnoog_-RLSZtCTW2ESlLmGZ-xlA89YuT5ErqtylbD3fa9h2_4oYa9UxTxV/s640/IMG_5661.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sudden bursts of Blue, every now and then, merging seamlessly with the myriad shades of Green</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfWqIEX-QTieMk9szxPP47giUe4XfbWQXjx8cqiJvH2Y_lXkZrLLZthotN18vCg6D9LG4EZqXCKTM1J7TBu-268sD4JFuyJlISAb7SAc31w2Z-GY813GRf0U2iOqrqnG2m5UZaTVWhy2G/s1600/IMG_5723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfWqIEX-QTieMk9szxPP47giUe4XfbWQXjx8cqiJvH2Y_lXkZrLLZthotN18vCg6D9LG4EZqXCKTM1J7TBu-268sD4JFuyJlISAb7SAc31w2Z-GY813GRf0U2iOqrqnG2m5UZaTVWhy2G/s640/IMG_5723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The Deep and Mysterious Loch Ness. It contains more fresh water than all the lakes of England and Wales put together!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHoH_0lrIs6JAUgbKDbhPnhF-H8JQe1WStcqbW0LhtLCUYkQkO0Ro3x5ZsIjkKBIUsDMwYR3mh-wy1-QpFXSkQHtAkQhNTxag5vhApgsW4l_yP124cKf8F2Du65x6XUdevw27cUSDtpJJ/s1600/IMG_5713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHoH_0lrIs6JAUgbKDbhPnhF-H8JQe1WStcqbW0LhtLCUYkQkO0Ro3x5ZsIjkKBIUsDMwYR3mh-wy1-QpFXSkQHtAkQhNTxag5vhApgsW4l_yP124cKf8F2Du65x6XUdevw27cUSDtpJJ/s1600/IMG_5713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHoH_0lrIs6JAUgbKDbhPnhF-H8JQe1WStcqbW0LhtLCUYkQkO0Ro3x5ZsIjkKBIUsDMwYR3mh-wy1-QpFXSkQHtAkQhNTxag5vhApgsW4l_yP124cKf8F2Du65x6XUdevw27cUSDtpJJ/s640/IMG_5713.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Passing the ruins of The Urquhart Catle on the banks of the Loch Ness, in search of Nessie, the Monster of Loch Ness. We did not find her but we found the Witches Rock! Scotland is a treasure trove of Myth and Legend.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUl_qTIwtOO-1XX6Z0PxB-sRwps2y9f-4Q6VcTPIPIw6TxoDjU4sy8Pg2Uuyx9yLRG31frWxkLjuZfGgyIQS1JeuIzPh6xcE8UrY-zD-RPv3Ce9WLEXB03_TrKugoaOy4InEaZ0iNdLoew/s640/IMG_5763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>From Loch Ness to the Isle of Skye on a road that dips and rises to startling blue lakes and sharp jagged mountains</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOIUW7iqczx5jbsBrpuWQj5F2zT9kxQMgB7nOkPokarqozZ8nNB2ENKYiQqQgQx2MheMbFYzb_e16NEOtOuw2f5oMnNKrZzgf5kloT5Lpun4W86riXkOvmDO4Rizjs_88_ZdhBB3i3og3/s640/IMG_5863.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Peace and Beauty unlimited - towards Carbost to visit the Talisker Distillery managed by Diageo and famous for its Premium Single Malt</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB4P9b628XmjRZ-mmhQioepOZJZyg4yWvxD20gaVwlbXFiyuaKB-SEGmnTxquMT99Je0eoqPsFp3xhRleJqtO0qDsvDs1qNBpMUPxT6Fg_Vjw2Tk1to3eM9aQCzi9E_l5bgCfSG7SawNc/s1600/IMG_1468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB4P9b628XmjRZ-mmhQioepOZJZyg4yWvxD20gaVwlbXFiyuaKB-SEGmnTxquMT99Je0eoqPsFp3xhRleJqtO0qDsvDs1qNBpMUPxT6Fg_Vjw2Tk1to3eM9aQCzi9E_l5bgCfSG7SawNc/s640/IMG_1468.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Obviously we did not catch the Talisker Distillery Tour. The drive upto the Distillery was just so beautiful that we lost track of time! So, we loaded the car on to a large liner to reach the Isle of Raasay and its distillery.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBpSj1v99A0sVxfFu0DOb_tHhmlp_hEmbQ27LtUxT7H5JvQsoBrJIfTmbp-VEJGpFtElvi_CAd8RdNqMa6VhEMoafNcXn7c-DADxqWbH9CM4HxYYsPaqDQblzCEJhGiUyU1hMlGGvo0_9/s640/IMG_5924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Chugging away to the Isle of Raasay surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujCN2hKbkwq_OTczcvs5Z_4fAbWCOtu52gDxRX5RREYCLbmJoIvKsk8x1_3ibw0ZcxG_J6ty3VbgfqVT4mbR874WN5d2K1_dQT2H7Bt3VPfNeeAqiJsKgr5gsK-dHV_thuqbmExYF4mDY/s640/IMG_5961.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The picture post card scene at the Isle of Raasay complete with the shaggy Highland Cows</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zN6NHmYOjpXJ3MEu_TzBRf6JOKeew9VM33gHPSI6DNuD02JzHNylkraVT44ne4D_MEXtqrr1dn6yS10NzwkYQ0HZwmpi5-gehL8etPY1oltlOxF1ENtdvR7XPI_3kS72g2GcKIKRQ2re/s640/IMG_5976.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>And back to Terra Firma. At Inverness, the largest city and the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands, with the River Ness flowing gently</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zN6NHmYOjpXJ3MEu_TzBRf6JOKeew9VM33gHPSI6DNuD02JzHNylkraVT44ne4D_MEXtqrr1dn6yS10NzwkYQ0HZwmpi5-gehL8etPY1oltlOxF1ENtdvR7XPI_3kS72g2GcKIKRQ2re/s1600/IMG_5976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></b></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br /></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-8882241091706407412020-03-16T20:24:00.004+05:302021-04-09T16:34:41.871+05:30Quick Reads - The City Palace, Jaipur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The City palace, <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2019/02/jaipur-jodhpurand-jaisalmer-rajasthan.html" target="_blank">Jaipur</a> </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">often gets overlooked by tourists because it is the Amber Fort that is publicized as the show stopper and attracts hordes of tourists . Since it is the residence of the current members of the Royal Family of Jaipur, the reticence surrounding it may be by design, but the City Palace is as interesting as the Amber Fort. It is right away a more immersive experience because it does not attract many visitors. Secondly, the exhibits are far more interesting. If Amber Fort itself is a slice of History, the City Palace is a glimpse into the lives of those who made the history. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUTMBaPg_sZ1OnIXhi-zMrY8x8oPrIzAZMX1JI0kQ4ZRCREsGNrQutRH220HP7HFE6n3IYVAV2zGo_AU9XRkgcB3deg3DAFL_OfVbKhS4SzAtZT9pzQWKfNPEmtsz6c-XtBAYI1AztFUw/s1600/IMG_5920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUTMBaPg_sZ1OnIXhi-zMrY8x8oPrIzAZMX1JI0kQ4ZRCREsGNrQutRH220HP7HFE6n3IYVAV2zGo_AU9XRkgcB3deg3DAFL_OfVbKhS4SzAtZT9pzQWKfNPEmtsz6c-XtBAYI1AztFUw/s320/IMG_5920.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Gangajali</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Take the larger-than-life Gangajalis for example. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, they are the largest silver objects in the world. Made from 14,0000 silver coins without soldering, the jars weigh 345 kgs, stand 5 feet and 3 inches tall and can hold 4091 litres or 900 gallons of water. Maharaja Sawai Madhav Sing II is said to have taken two such jars filled with Gangajal (water of The Ganga), when he travelled to England in 1902 for the coronation of King Edward. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Other areas to explore are the Diwan E Aam also called Sabha Niwas and the Diwan E Khas which has an grand sounding name like Sarvato Bhadra. Then there is the Chandra Mahal atop which flies the one and a quarter Flag of the Jaipur Dynasty, signifying the name Sawai. How the dyansty got the title Sawai is another interesting story. Tasetful displays of paintings, an interesting textile museum that must have been a treasure trove to many bespoke Indian designers, eye-catching configurations of weapons and arms, City Palace offers enough for a good two hours.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Take a guide or help yourself to the audio guide and come back for the sight and sound show, if you are a true history buff. </span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">There is a detailed tour of the Inner Chambers of the Palace for those who have deep pockets. Those with deeper pockets can stay in the Palace, thanks to the youngest generation of the Royal Family, having put a few rooms on Air Bnb.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDGuzMXb2kyrJY2EyJPIjwUV-7anRB042LVXYPOyJcKr-qoHdaR8tDaeM2EtbXw6uPkY6BTnTtnAZTFfyniFtBJy3ebGbcOz1caLX4-sVzmAslO-mxqlFd2lRZ8W8G1VDkgl4d0ipaChV/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDGuzMXb2kyrJY2EyJPIjwUV-7anRB042LVXYPOyJcKr-qoHdaR8tDaeM2EtbXw6uPkY6BTnTtnAZTFfyniFtBJy3ebGbcOz1caLX4-sVzmAslO-mxqlFd2lRZ8W8G1VDkgl4d0ipaChV/s320/IMG_5924.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The One And A Quarter Flag of The Sawai Dynasty</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-88515334667615346182019-02-22T19:59:00.002+05:302021-04-09T16:31:02.402+05:30A Handy Travel Guide to Hong Kong - Published in the Deccan Herald on 6th October, 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">The Hong Kong Diaries <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpM4FdnYTvY6HGKyV5aUrOeCLQZX9E8nEjw3FPp9ihMu7L1VQGIjH1OcY9Z-7bMXP-HZhP9bMdsUB98oh5IMzyW1ODnA4fPhMEpuuR82sHG64LwV9Gh3l1YFuQC9oTxFQlA3tM0J4L_9/s1600/hong-kong-china-1-1538767801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="700" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpM4FdnYTvY6HGKyV5aUrOeCLQZX9E8nEjw3FPp9ihMu7L1VQGIjH1OcY9Z-7bMXP-HZhP9bMdsUB98oh5IMzyW1ODnA4fPhMEpuuR82sHG64LwV9Gh3l1YFuQC9oTxFQlA3tM0J4L_9/s320/hong-kong-china-1-1538767801.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">There are some nice things about Hong Kong that get lost in the rhetoric of the tourist brochures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"> Like the landing at Hong Kong airport on Chek Lap Kok Island that was reclaimed from the sea, especially to construct the airport. As the plane descends, the vast sea, dotted with smaller mounds of lush greenery, appears. You wait for the sea to disappear, because are not airports found in urban environs? But the sea, surrounded by verdant hills, remains in view till touchdown and even thereafter! It is a nice sight. Or take the <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2020/03/the-chi-lin-nunnery-and-nan-lian.html" target="_blank">Chi Lin Nunnery and the Nan Lian Gardens</a>. Spread over 3.5 hectares in the heart of a densely populated city, here is an oasis of aesthetics and calm. With flowing water, trees, rocks and wooden structures landscaped according to Feng Shui traditions, the Gardens validate the fact that 40% of Hong Kong's area consists of forests and National Park. What is particularly nice is that, the structures are held together, not by nails, but by an ingenious interlocking system carved into the wood. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs8d7OnbZ7F5OSspcMF_F0RuPiceO3eHyRK9AKLkWsjb6a1QCp_cvuTGt3VLxgPhMBU5AQbeYqdc4MON9mmBbBqDhZOBo05J4AdxZWwmEEH91_7ObGwWcOH1ZC0UFD4HbLTHGe4XYH0G_/s1600/IMG_0236+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs8d7OnbZ7F5OSspcMF_F0RuPiceO3eHyRK9AKLkWsjb6a1QCp_cvuTGt3VLxgPhMBU5AQbeYqdc4MON9mmBbBqDhZOBo05J4AdxZWwmEEH91_7ObGwWcOH1ZC0UFD4HbLTHGe4XYH0G_/s320/IMG_0236+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Of course, the attractions from the tourist brochures are nice too! Like Disneyland, the primary reason why many tourists visit Hong Kong. Disneyland is nice for obvious reasons. Ocean Park is nice too, thanks to the Giant Pandas. The sight of these playful, gentle giants lumbering up and down, in an air conditioned enclosure that mimics their high altitude habitats, melts even the most cynical! Ocean Park also has a cable car, penguins, dolphins and amusement rides. The penguins make you squeal but the amusement rides are not unique! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Ngong Ping Village is another tourist brochure star. It is accessed by a 25 minute cable car ride that travels high above the water, offering sweeping views of the endless South China Sea, the Hong Kong airport and the lush greenery of Hong Kong’s largest National Park. One of the top 10 cable car rides in the world, it is more enjoyable, albeit scary, when done in the crystal cabin with a see-through toughened glass floor! You get off the cable car at Ngong Ping village to, what in Hong Kong, is a very rare sight - cows and bulls roaming freely, grazing away! It is a lovely change to see them alive and not on plates! Apart from the opulent but serene Po Lin monastery with a room full of Golden Bodhisattvas, the other major draw is the 112 foot high, Beijing-facing </span><span lang="DA" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Big Buddha</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">. Made with over 250 tonnes of bronze, the awesome Big Buddha leaves one feeling small, both on the temporal and spiritual planes. If you can spare a day, Ngong Ping also offers a beautiful sunrise at Lantau Peak, a cultural immersion at a Chinese fishing village and exquisitely calligraphed Buddhist Sutras on the Twelve Pillars on Wisdom Path. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Then there is Victoria's Peak, the erstwhile residence of the British who first came to Hong Kong. It retains the colonial whiff even today and is the costliest piece of real estate in Hong Kong, housing the uber rich. You can reach the summit of Victoria Peak by riding the oldest funicular in the world, the iconic 108 year-old Peak Tram or you can take the bus to the Peak. While both offer breathtaking views and the illusion of the skyscrapers leaning forward as they ascend, the air-conditioned bus is much cheaper than the tram. But then, there are those that like a ride on a piece of history and even those who trek the scenic 7.5 kilometre trail up to the Peak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"> The Hong Kong shopping scene is another great crowd puller. From Times Square to Sogo, the iconic malls of Hong Kong showcase every international label, from Armani, </span><span lang="IT" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Gucci</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">and Versace to </span><span lang="NL" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">De Beers</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">, Rolex and Cartier. Mall visits are really quite convenient, thanks to an arrangement between the bigger malls and the Hong Kong metro rail (MTR) by which, metro stations are located at the basement of the malls. The chic malls eat up your hours and if you don't watch out, your savings as well! The Smart Alec window-shops till kingdom come and then buys identical fare that serves equally well, from Ladies Market, Fashion Street, Sneakers Street, Jade Street, Apliu Street and the lanes of Causeway Bay, for a fraction of the price! Bargaining is expected and the initial price quoted is an exponential multiple of what it is finally sold for.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcOtUNxOfwHS6Zj0-alWyBECSfsLkE-isgVVFOZwhkF64wuABk7i4rUI76QDFoadRnd8oIGCvbC7-G_WgDar0YjAfnzV7QPhlYoSMzTNAr5VZ6yWXMJ-kDMiJXvrWQ3k_UNDO3NA1TqwM/s1600/IMG_7548+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcOtUNxOfwHS6Zj0-alWyBECSfsLkE-isgVVFOZwhkF64wuABk7i4rUI76QDFoadRnd8oIGCvbC7-G_WgDar0YjAfnzV7QPhlYoSMzTNAr5VZ6yWXMJ-kDMiJXvrWQ3k_UNDO3NA1TqwM/s320/IMG_7548+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">For the scholarly, there is the Hong Kong Museum of Natural History, the Science Museum and the Space Museum. The Hong Kong Museum of Natural History with excellent displays, descriptions and detail is highly recommended. For the gourmands, Hong Kong offers the most authentic of Asian cuisine, from eel fried rice to noodle broth with squid, pork and what have you, both at the swishy, Michelin-starred restaurants and at the numerous eateries lining every street. For vegetarians, strong of heart, there is the newest trend of vegan restaurants that recreate non-vegetarian delicacies with mock meat and purely vegetarian ingredients. For the rest of us there is Saravana Bhavan, Sangeetha, Sharma’s and Branto. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Hong Kong is the most visited city in the world. It has retained this distinction for the last 10 years, despite being one of the most expensive cities. Excursions, amusement parks, trekking trails, shopping, gastronomic adventures - Hong Kong has them all neatly packaged and efficiently dispensed, both for the moneyed tourist and for the backpacker. However, at its heart, lies the juxtaposition of urban realities with the beauty of nature, the old with the new and the uber rich with the common aggregate, all within 2974 square kilometres. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Remember <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"> Indian nationals do not need a visa but they need to complete a pre-arrival registration which is valid for six months. This can be done online and grants a 14-day stay in Hong Kong each time. Extensions are not possible unless you leave Hong Kong and re-enter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Pick up an Octopus card as soon as you land in Hong Kong airport. It is the most preferred mode of payment in most places in Hong Kong and almost mandatory in the MTR and the buses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">The Hong Kong MTR, one of the best in the world, is the fastest, most economical and comfortable way of getting around Hong Kong. The bus network is slower and less extensive but, nevertheless, connects all popular areas and sights. Red taxis and Ubers are expensive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Hong Kong is prone to typhoons. The typhoon season runs from May to September, peaking from July onwards. When strong winds and typhoon warning are in force, many tourist attractions do not operate rides and ferry services are suspended. Plan your day after checking the Hong Kong Observatory website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;"> Cathay Pacific runs direct flights from the major Indian metro cities to Hong Kong. Jet Airways and Air India fly via Delhi and Bombay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="border: none; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 15.3333px;">Accommodation options range from youth hostels to AirBnB, service apartments and two star to seven star hotels. Some service apartments lease out only for a month or longer. </span><span face="calibri, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-69716861480631171342019-02-10T20:46:00.001+05:302021-04-09T16:36:23.426+05:30Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer - Rajasthan in a nutshell <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jaipur,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Jodhpur
and Jaisalmer - Rajasthan in a nutshell<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></b>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST6Bwt_gqWmH2r0wVauTnSImui9ISAhMrZEholwBl4mFTErArT9YSjYjUQltRbDVDsn0dL0uJkEkAncZiVu1xYGlQqVMd6o1ZuzULnfZ7bt8FIfDCvRFfoA5TMRicZoMjg84jn4WJwPJQ/s1600/IMG-20171001-WA0018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST6Bwt_gqWmH2r0wVauTnSImui9ISAhMrZEholwBl4mFTErArT9YSjYjUQltRbDVDsn0dL0uJkEkAncZiVu1xYGlQqVMd6o1ZuzULnfZ7bt8FIfDCvRFfoA5TMRicZoMjg84jn4WJwPJQ/s1600/IMG-20171001-WA0018.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></b>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="Body">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHzUWLE4W7RBczyPMcO_9zxEdjIWmeKHHrRAWrbPkljuiAAOWBiHzd8ENtUVFP4o8Ny-A3N8-vlAzXfiXtfjLbzYL6YzCCOBtyVn1g2ezSXFEuyFhH7h39abc2v-jYllErbOXg-ydSeuv/s1600/IMG_20170930_183458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHzUWLE4W7RBczyPMcO_9zxEdjIWmeKHHrRAWrbPkljuiAAOWBiHzd8ENtUVFP4o8Ny-A3N8-vlAzXfiXtfjLbzYL6YzCCOBtyVn1g2ezSXFEuyFhH7h39abc2v-jYllErbOXg-ydSeuv/s320/IMG_20170930_183458.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> has been on the international tourist's map since the days of
yore with its exotic </span>maharajas<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and their palaces (many converted into hotels),
mammoth forts and vividly coloured textiles and handicrafts. Many notable
international films have been shot in </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> right from Peter </span>O'Toole's<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> One
Night with the King and James Bond's </span>Octopussy<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> to Christopher Nolan's The Dark
Night Rises and Judi </span>Dench's<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The Exotic Marigold Hotels. Lately, many domestic
tourists too have been making a beeline to </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> thanks to the very well
crafted and aggressive marketing campaign of the </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Tourism Department.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="tab-stops: 55.55pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dating back to almost 5000 years, Rajasthan lays claim to being the home of the seers who composed the Vedas and present day cities like Jhunjhunu and Sikar are said to have existed right from
the Vedic times as part of Brahmavartha. Excavations in the Kalibanga region of
Rajasthan point to the existence of Harappans of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Much later, the region was ruled by various dynasties like the Kushans, Guptas,
Mauryas, Parihars, Parmars and Chauhans. This loose collection of
principalities was invaded by the Mughals around 1200 after which many of the
rulers accepted Mughal suzerainty, except for a few like Rana Pratap. Later
Akbar unified the various kingdoms by forging alliances, both, through
matrimony and annexations and a precarious peace prevailed among the Rajput
principalities which the British formalized. When India gained independence and
states were drawn up, a few Rajput princes refused to join the new India. It
took all of seven stages of negotiations to complete the formation of
Rajasthan. Today, Rajasthan is the largest state in India, covering 3.5 lakh
square kilometres, which makes it as large as the Republic of Congo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shares
a border with Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Gujarat and
Pakistan. It is home to the awesome Thar Desert, has four major National Parks
(Ranthambore, Sariska, Keoladeo and Jaisalmer Desert Park), intricately carved
temples and step wells showcasing the skill of its people and handlooms and
handicraft that are the benchmarks for aesthetics and beauty.</span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The circuit of
Jaipur (The Pink City), </span>Jodhpur<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (The Blue City) and </span>Jaisalmer<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (The Golden City)
offers a fairly accurate thumbnail sketch of </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. If Jaipur offers a
combo pack of </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, </span>Jodhpur<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> showcases its history faithfully and </span>Jaisalmer<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
lays bare the delights of the Thar Desert. Together, they provide </span>Rajasthan<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in
a nutshell in just over a week.</span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Jaipur</b></span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jaipur, the
state capital, is a good place to start and close the circuit because it is
well connected to the metro cities and major towns of India by road, rail and
air and also encapsulates the entire tourist experience very neatly. There are
important forts and monuments, authentic gastronomic experiences and the
mandatory shopping delights. The story behind how Jaipur came to be called the
Pink City is interesting. In 1876 </span>Maharaja<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Ram Singh, painted the whole city
pink, the colour that symbolizes hospitality, to welcome the Prince of Wales
and Queen Victoria. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Prince Albert remarked
that this was the Pink City and the name stuck.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jaipur has four
major forts - The Amer Fort, Jaigarh, The <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2020/03/quick-reads-city-palace-jaipur.html" target="_blank">City Palace</a> and Nahargarh</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
fort.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amer Fort</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, the most well known, thanks to the many
movies shot there, combines functionality with aesthetics. It is a testimony to
the creativity and ingenuity of the human mind, right from the rice and black
dal amalgam used to produce a marble like effect on the walls, to the
indigenous air conditioning from water flowing down a slope with vents on its
side to let in air. A secret passage, not for public use, from Amer Fort leads
to Jaigarh fort evoking vivid images of palace intrigue. The City Palace has
some very interesting artifacts like the two 3000 litre silver urns in which
the Maharaja Madho Singh II carried the waters of Ganga, when he sailed to
England for the coronation of Edward II. Jaigarh and Nahargarh provide a bird's
eye view of the city, showcasing some familiar film locations for the Bollywood
tourist. Moving on, the Albert Museum- the foundation stone of which was laid
by Prince Albert is a must-see, with its awesome architecture and fine
exhibits. Then there is the Jantar Mantar which is the scientific forethought
and labour of a very enlightened king. The Hawa Mahal, the face of Rajasthan,
lies at centre of Jaipur in the heart of the shopping district. It is a network
of jharokhas or windows from behind which the royal ladies </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">in</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Purdah (veil) would sit and watch
the world pass by, safe from the sight of the commoners. There is nothing you
do not get in the roads in and around Hawa Mahal, from the vividly coloured
safas or Jaipur Turbans to dupattas in a hundred hues, bed sheets, kurtas and
sarees, with the best of block prints (Kishanpol), jewellery (Johri Bazaar),
lac jewellery (Tripolia Bazaar) to marble and other handicraft (Chandpol
Bazar), mojris (Nehru Bazaar), camel leather products (Sireh Deori Bazaar)
suparis, perfumes, spices (Bapu Bazaar) and lots more. LMB or Lakshmi Mishtan
Bhandar, established in 1757, with its extensive vegetarian menu of Rajasthani
delicacies as well as Pan Indian and international cuisines, is an excellent
pit stop to assuage those hunger pangs. For afters, there is Pandit Kulfi and
masala chai in kulhads (earthen cups), both icons of Jaipur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span>
<b>Jodhpur</b></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b>
Jodhpur<span style="background-color: white;"> is 360 kilometres away from
Jaipur - a journey of six hours by road and rail. </span>Jodhpur<span style="background-color: white;"> is called the Blue
City because of the houses and settlements around the fort, being painted blue.
One belief is that blue copper sulphate is added to the paint for its insect
repellent properties, another belief is that blue reflects heat and thus keep
the houses cool and yet others opine that the houses of </span>Brahmins<span style="background-color: white;"> were painted
blue for identification. Whatever the reason, houses in old </span>Jodhpur<span style="background-color: white;"> around
</span>Meherangarh<span style="background-color: white;"> Fort continue to be painted blue, if only to validate the
nomenclature.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Meherangarh fort is clearly the
piece de resistance of Jodhpur. Rudyard Kipling, awed by the fort called it
"the palace that might have been built by the titans and coloured by the
morning sun.” Chiselled out of sheer mountain and volcanic rock, at 410 feet
above sea level and accessed by a state<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMqJSeaxNawx-KDF0BC7n24O-0S58EKZwv-f9T2zchqohIFcg6Xb4397z1g-TmSdC-VD8EoI8BELuGr8Ydmqb1JBa3Nz6Wt0q-q2kMIO0LkM_RgPAPhxhqRY4A8j1zFFU4R2bgeXC-3x5/s1600/IMG_20170929_193748.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMqJSeaxNawx-KDF0BC7n24O-0S58EKZwv-f9T2zchqohIFcg6Xb4397z1g-TmSdC-VD8EoI8BELuGr8Ydmqb1JBa3Nz6Wt0q-q2kMIO0LkM_RgPAPhxhqRY4A8j1zFFU4R2bgeXC-3x5/s320/IMG_20170929_193748.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beauty and aesthetics of the Meherangarh Fort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
of art escalator, the</span>e <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">fort was built</span> by<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> King Rao Jodha from whom the city
has got its name. Meherangarh houses an exhaustive museum that gives an up
close view of the Rajput Royalty. What is also eye catching but often missed
out, are the nests made by the swift birds. High on the ceilings of the fort
are clusters of nests that look like bunches of flowers or clumps of fungi
(depending upon the personality of the beholder), made by the birds by sticking
together twigs, leaves etc with their gum-like saliva. Bird's nest soup, an
oriental delicacy, is made from these nests. There is an interesting local lore
regarding how the current Maharaja financed the restoration of this mammoth
edifice. Since the government was unable to support his efforts, Maharaja Gaj
Singh periodically collected all the bat droppings from the fort and sold them
as manure to the chilli farmers around Jodhpur and raised funds. Over a period
of time, his efforts gained publicity and financial assistance began flowing
and today the fort has been named one of the best preserved forts in the world
and also named Best Fortress by Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIEBi_wI9C46rWF22hZzu_S9pphzZA1oGYlQqLMNoGGUtIW1pLBBC92V4t36GAe8uflGp6517mQCIngK9doAT7VwEK6qiwoGigTF76NDpR4_ZRWjIbs6TGDwqgFeDLGDWnI5TeJwxQ9Ma/s1600/IMG_20171002_091426.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIEBi_wI9C46rWF22hZzu_S9pphzZA1oGYlQqLMNoGGUtIW1pLBBC92V4t36GAe8uflGp6517mQCIngK9doAT7VwEK6qiwoGigTF76NDpR4_ZRWjIbs6TGDwqgFeDLGDWnI5TeJwxQ9Ma/s320/IMG_20171002_091426.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The beautiful murals in Jodhpur Railway Station</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If Meherangarh spells size then the
other fort of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhavan Palace spells grandeur. Built by Maharaj
Umaid Singh to provide employment to his subjects during a crippling famine, it
is the only palace to have been built in the 20th century. One portion of the
fort has been converted into a luxury hotel and the other, housing the
residence of the current Maharaja, is said to be one of the largest private
residences in the world. This palace too has a very fine museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ghanta Ghar and Sadar Bazar are the major
shopping areas of Jodhpur. Authentic condiments and spices, leather footwear
(Mochi Bazar) and Leheriya, Bandhni and block print textiles (Kapra Bazar)and
handicraft (Sarafa Bazaar) are good things to pick up from Jodhpur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chaturbhuj Gulab Jamun from Chaturbhuj’s shop
in the serpentine and reed like lanes of Ghanta Ghar and</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Gypsy
Restaurant at </span>Sardarpura<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">,
touted to be one of the best eateries of North India, are not to be missed.
Jodhpur Railway Station is quite a revelation! Spanking clean and embellished
with colourful Rajasthani wall murals, it does not seem like one at all.
Jodhpur has an olde worldly and almost somnolent charm about it that sets the
tone for Jaisalmer which lies at the heart of the Thar Desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>Jaisalmer</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Jaisalmer, 300 kilometres from
Jodhpur, is called the Golden City, because of the golden hue imparted to it by
the yellow sand and the yellow sandstone used in most of its buildings. It is
home to the awesome Jaisalmer fort,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
UNESCO World Heritage site, inside which are ensconced the palace, intricately
sculpted Jain temples, shops and markets. Impacted by the harsh desert heat and
a sparse population of 80,000, Jaisalmer gives the impression of being in
another world, in another time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jaisalmer is extremely significant, both as
the gateway to the Thar and as the border of India and Pakistan with a
significant army presence. The sharp sunlight, the dry heat and the silence all
around one as one enters Jaisalmer makes it immediately </span><span lang="IT" style="mso-ansi-language: IT;">apparent </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">that this is desert land. </span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>And the <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">USP of Jaisalmer is, undoubtedly, the desert
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhQjqKBOadro4aqf6Qm2Mu4OEwuKbSGcWmM4n2-xBye2ClOtMddB6Qi_TJ-9qohT6wraeYTvXNImABq8FERLNauBEswSwsOPUkoxSEzecMWI960UPVWQqAYz1UGpR0YAt07vKyA4M4oaB/s1600/IMG-20171001-WA0018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhQjqKBOadro4aqf6Qm2Mu4OEwuKbSGcWmM4n2-xBye2ClOtMddB6Qi_TJ-9qohT6wraeYTvXNImABq8FERLNauBEswSwsOPUkoxSEzecMWI960UPVWQqAYz1UGpR0YAt07vKyA4M4oaB/s320/IMG-20171001-WA0018.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Desert Camps of Jaisalmer</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Desert camping with the desert
safari thrown in, is a booming industry in Rajasthan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Osian or Khuri nearer Jaisalmer have
desert areas, it is Sam, 45 kilometres away that has a wider expanse of desert
and better</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> infrastructure </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to provide a safe and enjoyable
desert experience. Accessed by an hour’s drive from Jaisalmer, on roads that
cut through swathes of sand, with hardly any vegetation in sight, there </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">are</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">e more than 60 desert camps around
Sam. Each camp consists of neatly laid out clean Swiss Tents, furnished to
varying levels of comfort and luxury, with chairs, cots, well appointed,
en suite bathrooms with running water and air coolers. The more luxurious ones
even promise an AC. </span></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSbY_TEf0ztSd395qU63XuRgsD2IH1FkEsAjvRqUrPpVKuPdqAbHY00SfFDf09PpP3imO-dNCDeMajflyoF3iscjWmJw6ZrbIbB_cqDH5wgefFqfQqbIn_8tx1XpNL1aHC-4hZbN6HLbo/s1600/IMG-20171001-WA0027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSbY_TEf0ztSd395qU63XuRgsD2IH1FkEsAjvRqUrPpVKuPdqAbHY00SfFDf09PpP3imO-dNCDeMajflyoF3iscjWmJw6ZrbIbB_cqDH5wgefFqfQqbIn_8tx1XpNL1aHC-4hZbN6HLbo/s320/IMG-20171001-WA0027.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Glamping in the Thar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tightly </span>cartellized<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, all camps offer a similar package of
camel safari into the desert for sunrise or sunset (which are truly glorious
sights), sand bashing in four wheel drives for the young and the hot blooded, and
stargazing in the unpolluted desert darkness and typical </span>Rajasthani<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> cuisine.
The duration of the desert camp ranges from an overnight stay to a week long
sojourn. The desert camp experience is highly recommended. The camel ride into
the desert is, literally and figuratively, the high point, designed to test the
bravest. If one has survived the first forward lurch, the much sharper second
backward thrust into the air and made peace with the height from the ground and
the uneven gait of this inexplicable creature, the ride is very, very
enjoyable! Everything else in </span>Jaisalmer<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> can wait.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Another interesting spot on the way
back to Jaisalmer is the Ghost Village of Kuldhara. Established by Paliwal
Brahmins in the 13th century, this once prosperous village is presented to the
tourist today as the haunted village. Legend has it that Salim Singh, the
debauched Minister of Jaisalmer coveted the beautiful daughter of the chieftain
and threatened to destroy every villager and the village if she was not sent to
him. Fearing her fate, it is believed that the villagers fled the village
overnight. No one saw them leave and no one knows where they relocated. The
village gates are shut every evening by the people of the neighbouring village,
who don't believe the village to be haunted, but happily spin tales of voices
and spirit sightings after dark, in order to attract tourists. Kuldhara is an
experience that could be interesting or scary but it is, nevertheless, an
experience!</span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One would expect to be bored at the repetitiveness
of Rajasthan's forts, palaces, textiles and cuisine, but that does not happen.
Every fort has a tale to tell. If Amer fort is one of the biggest, the
Kumbalgarh Fort has the second longest wall in Asia. If textiles rule roost in
Jaipur, leather dominates in the bazaars of Jodhpur and every bazaar has
something different to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
mighty Aravallis to the endless Thar, from the grandeur of its royalty to the
depth of its wildlife reserves, Rajasthan gives you the maximum value for money
in terms of experiences. If Kerala is God's own country, Rajasthan is testimony
to man's creativity and persistence in surviving nature's harshness. In fact, the </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rajasthan Tourism logo is quite interesting. It has two birds flying above two camels sitting back to back, evoking the imagery of the Thar Desert. But a closer look reveals the face of a typical Rajasthani man with the huge Rajasthani moustache and smiling eyes. This is so typical of Rajasthan - where you actually get more than what you see!</span></span><br />
<div class="Body">
</div>
</div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Fact File</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Best time to visit</span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The best time to
visit Rajasthan is between September and Mid December when temperatures
normally run between 30 C to 10 C.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">December to
March is good if you can bear the cold since temperatures could come down to
single digits.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Summer, from
March to June, is highly avoidable because temperatures touch 50 degrees.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Getting there</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Jaipur is
connected by rail and air to the major metro cities of India and to all its
neighbouring states by state-of-art National highways. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Jodhpur and
Jaisalmer are connected to Jaipur, Delhi and Udaipur by road, rail and air.
Flights from Bangalore, Bombay and Chennai reach Jodhpur and Jaisalmer via
Delhi and Jaipur. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Tickets range
from 2000 depending upon the city of origin to 15,000 during the peak season,
so booking early helps.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Covering Jodhpur
and Jaisalmer by road, at the rate of, @ of 9.00 per km, is also interesting.
Pokhran, the site of India’s first successful nuclear testing, falls on the
road from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Accommodation
Options</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The tourist is
truly spoilt for choice in this respect, in all the three destinations. At one
end of the spectrum lie hotels with a tariff starting at Rs 1200, while at the
other end lie the Palace Hotels with a tariff of Rs.50, 000 to Rs.70, 000. The
good news is that there are also reputed hospitality groups and the Haveli
hotels in the mid range from Rs.4000 upwards that offer classy deluxe
accommodation. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Forts involve a
good bit of walking, much of it on gradient paths. Wheelchairs are available on
request. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hire only
government approved guides thorough official channels. Do not believe touts who
take you to textiles, handlooms and handicrafts shops around the forts. The
prices are inflated keeping in mind the foreign tourist. You can get the same
things in the city at a fraction of the price quoted around the forts. Finally,
Bargain, bargain, and bargain till you drop dead!</span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-left: 36pt; tab-stops: 11.0pt 36.0pt; text-indent: -36pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color: #363636;"><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #363636;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-8249913038326514172017-10-29T08:14:00.000+05:302020-03-20T19:57:11.179+05:30New Zealand - An Experience of a Lifetime; Published in ParentWorld, September 2017 Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoBUYRk19PC62fVc5GGq6lN1NBB_0rxC7jiM0Xgo1zJX18LOCCCtrOBUPekt83WfzYMPJeJwHcP0SAx7OKBDk89LHJDUrTML0sy9bTzZJvn9fDNLS-0pD1888wMqr1MyLtd6gFeY8WWFO/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoBUYRk19PC62fVc5GGq6lN1NBB_0rxC7jiM0Xgo1zJX18LOCCCtrOBUPekt83WfzYMPJeJwHcP0SAx7OKBDk89LHJDUrTML0sy9bTzZJvn9fDNLS-0pD1888wMqr1MyLtd6gFeY8WWFO/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-2017.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdXaFw7R4VGccJi0P6a4hBUuDvS6rTRfYV4bQ0yEnMQuiSp559BoUx8KUaPPKSJW0Dsu2bKYvCxpWOub8MpHgpYanP1mkeFBXgoUOWf5HoniRffUKOK05ucyKiQx_ioOeD3jUzBOREVej/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdXaFw7R4VGccJi0P6a4hBUuDvS6rTRfYV4bQ0yEnMQuiSp559BoUx8KUaPPKSJW0Dsu2bKYvCxpWOub8MpHgpYanP1mkeFBXgoUOWf5HoniRffUKOK05ucyKiQx_ioOeD3jUzBOREVej/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20172.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNyO-ypZa4cPD7K9ezu7yeUyW69dPRFwMi_BXIKqKgacUKi-i-6OGN2fAEw696cBRwmrc7XZGF0vyTuFNCocji0UYg7gQf6fN_V9OB_KxWLIe5bMa6Q7j0aNTxGmVRCtDt5f6Ryndrk4V/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNyO-ypZa4cPD7K9ezu7yeUyW69dPRFwMi_BXIKqKgacUKi-i-6OGN2fAEw696cBRwmrc7XZGF0vyTuFNCocji0UYg7gQf6fN_V9OB_KxWLIe5bMa6Q7j0aNTxGmVRCtDt5f6Ryndrk4V/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20173.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15UiENstTEnpFW1IQQYDpy4uCU4z0Cvgt7iaQdHlP4D4Mmyj73QHKxcJPclR5pcEKsglPWQm58fjh2S80RJBScML8WDAGY9dlb6GLqpymLJqOqMJ9ZRhfBAx7tw-NT_IfZpUoEGDfISCh/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15UiENstTEnpFW1IQQYDpy4uCU4z0Cvgt7iaQdHlP4D4Mmyj73QHKxcJPclR5pcEKsglPWQm58fjh2S80RJBScML8WDAGY9dlb6GLqpymLJqOqMJ9ZRhfBAx7tw-NT_IfZpUoEGDfISCh/s1600/extracted_parentsworld-september-20174.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-71892895932247295132017-10-29T08:02:00.003+05:302020-03-20T19:57:58.950+05:30Nainital - Quite an Eyeful; Published in the Deccan Herald on 17th September 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It hit me as we drove to the hill station, and even harder when we saw the lake, that we should have set aside two more days for Nainital. Tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas at a height of 6,358 feet, Nainital is defined by the Naini Lake (tal). Eons back, it was called Tririshi Sarovar, the lake of three sages.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Legend has it that three sages, Athri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who were meditating in these forests, could not find water to quench their thirst. So they dug a hole and diverted the holy waters of Lake Manasarovar into it, and thus the lake came into being. Legend also has it that the eyes of Sati fell into the lake as Shiva was roaming the universe with her corpse, thus giving it the name Naini (eye) Lake, also making it a shakti peetha.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h767JKi14SRQR8g43apYFhgcoorHhORNYosTJ30xhE33a6biGVkaWVjib9DotCvqek6OJXU7vbH5aRKXORr-X3PPjCY8DsK3zTbilnUT1_RRFgj458vA4PNhXubvQgxFotZV0w_A07bn/s1600/IMG_4074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h767JKi14SRQR8g43apYFhgcoorHhORNYosTJ30xhE33a6biGVkaWVjib9DotCvqek6OJXU7vbH5aRKXORr-X3PPjCY8DsK3zTbilnUT1_RRFgj458vA4PNhXubvQgxFotZV0w_A07bn/s320/IMG_4074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In 1817, General Traill, commissioner of Kumaon and Garhwal, stumbled upon Naini Lake and the Naina Devi Temple. The villagers, who revered the two, requested him to keep this holy region a secret so that its sanctity is not sullied by an influx of visitors. The good General agreed and Nainital lay hidden till 1839, when P Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur, decided to look for it. The locals stoutly denied any knowledge of any such place, but Barron was determined and unscrupulous. He kept a huge stone on the head of one of the servants and asked him to walk till they found the lake.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Naturally, the servant broke down and revealed the location. Barron was stunned at the beauty of the lake and its environs. He gave up his sugar farming, relocated to Nainital, built himself a beautiful bungalow, which stands even today. How he acquired the land is an important part of local lore.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Territorial dispute</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It is believed that the village headman, Nar Singh, refused to sell the land to Barron. Barron invited him for a boat ride, took him to the middle of the lake and threatened to capsize the boat and swim back if Nar Singh did not agree to sell the land. Nar Singh, who did not know swimming, had to agree to this deal. In a very short span of time, Nainital became the favourite destination of the Britishers, and even the summer residence of the Governor of the United Province.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Despite tourists descending on Nainital en masse, the 90-feet-deep Naini Lake is beautiful and emanates tranquillity. Motor boats are not allowed on the lake, so the water is not defiled with fuel. The boatmen are, generally, quiet, and do not compel you to a chit-chat. There is also a certain timeless peace from the deodar-filled, sky-hugging mountains that rise off the lake. Encircling the lake is Thandi Sadak (cold path), named so because the canopy of trees is so thick that sunrays barely penetrate, thus leaving it cool. Walking around Thandi Sadak is an idyllic experience, with the sunlight shimmering on the lake, a light breeze whipping up just that hint of a wave, and birds and butterflies flying around.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Another pleasant surprise is the GB Pant High Altitude Zoo, spread over 11 ascending acres, between 6,900 and 7,030 feet. Established in 1984 but opened to the public only in 1995, it’s clean, well planned and uncluttered. Ergonomically sound, steep gradients inside the zoo serve as an effective deterrent to those who are not interested in animals. Of course, there is some climbing and walking. It houses white peacocks, birds that inhabit high altitudes, the majestic Bengal tiger, red panda, leopards, cheetahs and the Himalayan bear. With awesome vistas of Nainital Lake and the township below, visiting GB Pant Zoo is an hour or two well spent.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Other attractions</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Among the attractions close to Nainital, Mukteshwar, Sattal, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Sanctuary near Kilbury (Pangot) rank high. In fact, Saatal or Seven Lakes is considered more beautiful than Nainital. The Naina Devi Bird Sanctuary, at 6,837 feet, offers stunning views of the snow- capped Himalayas, and is home to almost 200 species of rare and endangered birds. Due to paucity of time, we chose to visit Mukteshwar, both for the Shiva temple at its peak, which gave the area its name, and for the drive that is most representative of the entire Naini Garhwal region.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The drive to Mukhteshwar was simply beautiful, cutting through rows of endless mountains, flush with the first showers of baby apricots and apples, and culminating at the peak, where the temple enveloped us once again in a timeless peace. Our driver, Gopal, the quintessential pahadi, embellished the journey with unusual insights on how pine and deodar trees stored water in their roots and functioned as irrigation systems in hilly terrains; the health benefits of rhododendron flowers; and why we should run upwards if we see a snake and downwards if we see a bear.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">There was so much more that we wanted to see — Aryabhatta observatory, Gurney House, where Jim Corbett lived — and gorge on bal mithai, the flag ship sweet of Kumaon.</span><br />
<br style="color: #363636; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">That is why we should have spared a few more days for Nainital.</span></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-86584829571780503342017-04-17T10:06:00.000+05:302020-03-20T19:59:48.421+05:30When seen anew - Jaipur. Published in 'Sunday Herald, Deccan Herald' on 11th December, 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why Jaipur? It’s hot, crowded and repetitive. Everybody has been to Jaipur and Jaipur has been to every city with its bed sheets, handlooms, puppets and mirror-embroidered bags. We were in Jaipur to confirm our belief that done-to-death destinations could still be enjoyable and throw up many pleasant surprises.</strong><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Like the Chand Baori at Abhaneri — one of Rajasthan’s hidden gems. Both, the taxi driver and the hotel desk, were surprised by our desire to visit Chand Baori. “You will have to leave very early. There is not much to see. You must leave from there by 3 pm. The place is haunted.” Much was said to discourage us, but a photograph that was seen ages ago provided the impetus. </span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Driving on the very impressive Jaipur-Delhi highway, through a state-of-the-art tunnel, we almost missed the turning to Abhaneri, a tiny village, 95 kilometres from Jaipur. A kaccha road, no broader than a strip, brought us to a stone threshold, which we entered with some skepticism. Before us was Chand Baori, one of the most beautiful and spectacular stepwells (baori). A quadrangle chiselled out of stone, going to a depth of 20 metres (64 feet), Chand Baori was built almost a thousand years ago by Raja Chand of the Pratihara clan.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">A total of 3,400 steps on three sides of the quadrangle run in the most symmetric geometric design in a play of light and shade, to make diamond-shaped patterns. The fourth side of the well, which presumably held the pulley, is embellished with jharokhas and ornate designs that are typical of Rajasthan. The well was initially used to store and replenish groundwater in the arid climate of Rajasthan. Much later, the raja had cornices and chambers built along the fourth wall from where he could enjoy the full-moon nights, since the reflection of the moon in the water deep was said to create an ethereal effect. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PmdnOfTfLb1FjZx-mBepsSg4Ake5jDBYPBVFyYcgLzyKBol3qn6AJuYeQ0UPfPZGIwflQ5chFPeYftpntykHeSfsBEAiivfinXkW8_vOa5wWQ9fuhYVfdqFE7ru9KZ1Q-M-AgdpGmR2O/s1600/Inlaid+work+in+precious+stones+-+Amber+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PmdnOfTfLb1FjZx-mBepsSg4Ake5jDBYPBVFyYcgLzyKBol3qn6AJuYeQ0UPfPZGIwflQ5chFPeYftpntykHeSfsBEAiivfinXkW8_vOa5wWQ9fuhYVfdqFE7ru9KZ1Q-M-AgdpGmR2O/s320/Inlaid+work+in+precious+stones+-+Amber+Fort.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_E59b0VmKA4m1wrL6upHI6et-g9XtrRuyTqs5gojqOu45q2Wotp-PCHrLTrA8tGWBpl2r9Cz3usNdvQDJBED_MZ16oQlXxhDBCtJe2bhsAnI9G-PLzpa-UqlbalPOF2reRXXNLtnWTzV/s1600/Gold+dust+inlaid+work+-+Amber+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_E59b0VmKA4m1wrL6upHI6et-g9XtrRuyTqs5gojqOu45q2Wotp-PCHrLTrA8tGWBpl2r9Cz3usNdvQDJBED_MZ16oQlXxhDBCtJe2bhsAnI9G-PLzpa-UqlbalPOF2reRXXNLtnWTzV/s320/Gold+dust+inlaid+work+-+Amber+Fort.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQAsEyJjvwPLgUVnoUYxlvT2JY0hqjFj8X1xO0-M8nV5l6aV_IUwg9LpawUFZ0nnfI_SP12TJFFsJssy9dLgFwTAfUtXQ-qvKSJimVBnOovwR0-mEiPIzvoGUMtoTjSpkmINRqOBihGBU/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQAsEyJjvwPLgUVnoUYxlvT2JY0hqjFj8X1xO0-M8nV5l6aV_IUwg9LpawUFZ0nnfI_SP12TJFFsJssy9dLgFwTAfUtXQ-qvKSJimVBnOovwR0-mEiPIzvoGUMtoTjSpkmINRqOBihGBU/s320/IMG_1640.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgClmq4KCpg2QVgNL9QhoL6d3r8UT8l9JQvjqa2mpMbZ2laXD31NBdOEazWzxKmlv_4QDN5hABifoBVwR4uvSee2dJXB9Wy-_mV2uZoQbEWraM1HFS_DIKTyPgmyiu6IGupJ5K-PtkeuY3/s1600/IMG_1658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgClmq4KCpg2QVgNL9QhoL6d3r8UT8l9JQvjqa2mpMbZ2laXD31NBdOEazWzxKmlv_4QDN5hABifoBVwR4uvSee2dJXB9Wy-_mV2uZoQbEWraM1HFS_DIKTyPgmyiu6IGupJ5K-PtkeuY3/s320/IMG_1658.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsmsF6ZRCEJd1UhsfVDIWl2ul5rYuw4D1s9HSDgLO2XS9HgRfNyBzqcJ1qfBZvr3wTIKziNiuUZNNdfI4Ph3EKtveZUkxD2XVmPEfRd88vpQdrCB33Rklcc5_BkmnvISqbvnsj10JdXfH/s1600/Plants+in+the+intricate+garden+watered+by+equally+intricate+canals%252C+cooled+by+the+natural+airconditioning+system.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsmsF6ZRCEJd1UhsfVDIWl2ul5rYuw4D1s9HSDgLO2XS9HgRfNyBzqcJ1qfBZvr3wTIKziNiuUZNNdfI4Ph3EKtveZUkxD2XVmPEfRd88vpQdrCB33Rklcc5_BkmnvISqbvnsj10JdXfH/s320/Plants+in+the+intricate+garden+watered+by+equally+intricate+canals%252C+cooled+by+the+natural+airconditioning+system.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhBArdJD5bwGMJhgCogbi5_2AU9bGYwwd2B5T7AGj3xVuTzM-BtdZ0pyK48-tx3ZHkJ8DlTm7cXA3JH2G0RRIFTZuS2zZ51f4YFAJzC5oxnGhA2QnEZijnyN8vcaVMyHlhvDmq_ccHjEJ/s1600/The+grandeur+of+Amber+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhBArdJD5bwGMJhgCogbi5_2AU9bGYwwd2B5T7AGj3xVuTzM-BtdZ0pyK48-tx3ZHkJ8DlTm7cXA3JH2G0RRIFTZuS2zZ51f4YFAJzC5oxnGhA2QnEZijnyN8vcaVMyHlhvDmq_ccHjEJ/s320/The+grandeur+of+Amber+Fort.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7JZ54UQbIgbGg-emduR-k_fP00Jyw8CZR9doRT68qq6HLQHvbiPSWpFgBLnMtR7P3aRkaPDv2qD4xcCgQ3KmtWfDyaQQOUyj6eDiXB6YbkpsNm7X7ptqrBZ7i5Oy7x9DaBiigRB8cNBh/s1600/The+Indigenous+Air+Conditioner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7JZ54UQbIgbGg-emduR-k_fP00Jyw8CZR9doRT68qq6HLQHvbiPSWpFgBLnMtR7P3aRkaPDv2qD4xcCgQ3KmtWfDyaQQOUyj6eDiXB6YbkpsNm7X7ptqrBZ7i5Oy7x9DaBiigRB8cNBh/s320/The+Indigenous+Air+Conditioner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><strong style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Stepwell on screen</strong><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Chand Baori is sheer poetry in stone and a lasting testimony to human ingenuity and perseverance. It left us quite dizzy and speechless. Sadly, Chand Baori’s claim to fame come not from its spectacular architecture and aesthetics, but from the fact that some of the most disturbing scenes from the movie The Dark Knight Rises were shot there, as also some portions of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Bhool Bhulaiyaa!</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">The Amber Fort, another done-to-death tourist attraction, threw up some great ‘I-never-knew-moments’ thanks to Sharma, an articulate and well-informed government-certified guide.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">From telling us that the traditional offering during aarti in the Shila Mata Temple (around which the fort was built) is a bottle of wine to the revelation that the marble walls and columns inside the fort were not made out of marble, Sharma hit the ground running. So, what hordes of tourists down the ages assumed to be marble was actually an amalgam of rice flour and Bengal gram dal fermented in water that’s drained from vegetable dyes. More evidence of the ingenuity and skill of the artisans and craftsmen came from the paintings on the walls and ceilings that were coloured with dyes made by crushing precious and semi-precious stones and gold dust. These paintings looked like inlaid designs and shone not when light fell on them, but when light did not fall on them!</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">The rooms of the fort were air-conditioned by a simple arrangement of water falling on a sloping gradient that had vents on either side that let in air. This air, cooled by the water, blew into the chambers of the palace while the water emptied into a glass-covered channel, from where it flowed out into the garden to water it. That is environment-friendly air-conditioning with nary a trace of a carbon footprint and optimum use of water. </span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">The Diwan-E-Khas, also known as Sheesh Mahal, was constructed because the ladies were not allowed to go out into the open, but one of the queens wanted to see the stars. So Raja Man Singh imported Belgium glass, which his artisans cut and laid on the ceilings and walls in such a way that a single flame would light up a 100 tiny images that looked like stars.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Adjoining the Sheesh Mahal was the maharaja’s winter room, a chamber that had a second set of doors positioned in such a way that when lamps were placed at the four corners and the inner doors shut, it was enveloped in warmth. Lofty ceilings in the bathroom ensured adequate ventilation when roaring fires in huge pits boiled water in gigantic copper pots. Similar lofty ceilings ensured adequate circulation and ventilation in the secret tunnel that went from Amber Fort to Jaigarh Fort.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Artistry blended with functionality and physics in the kitchen in the form of huge spider-shaped stands that supported cavernous cauldrons. The fort was meant to be a trip down history, but it ended up being a class in physics, chemistry and geography. Yet, all this is not common knowledge. What is common knowledge is the fact that K Asif filmed the famous song ‘Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya’ on Madhubala (Mughal-E-Azam) in Sheesh Mahal, Jodha Akbar was shot here, and Jackie Chan was shooting there right now.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><strong style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Historical monument </strong><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">The sight and show at Jantar Mantar, although a bit tacky, provided a wealth of insight into the foresight, intelligence and prudence of the Jaipur rulers, who chose to call a truce with the Mughals and yet retain their identity, following their own customs, traditions and culture. It spoke of an enlightened astronomer king who went beyond elephants and palaces, and invested a lot of time and effort in town planning and citizens’ welfare.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">There were many more revelations, some legends, others, hidden facts — like the reason behind Jaipur being called the Pink City. When King Albert and Queen Victoria came on a visit, Sawai Man Singh painted the city pink — the colour of hospitality, prompting King Albert to name it so. Even today, the government gets the city painted pink during Deepavali.</span><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #363636; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #363636;">Jaipur did not disappoint. The heat, the colour, the crowds, the vibrancy, the vitality, the handlooms and handicraft, the good-natured conning by shopkeepers who effectively badger you into buying things you don’t need, the food and the thali feasts that you succumb to, the history and the heritage — Jaipur has it all, neatly packed and brilliantly presented. And yes, for those who scratch the surface, there is another Jaipur — ancient, enduring, and maybe even scientific.</span></span></div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-40343255180390749712016-12-10T21:20:00.002+05:302021-12-08T19:04:39.919+05:30Where Waters Run Deep - The Hindu, 20th November, 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: "tundraweb" , serif;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 18px;">Where Waters Run Deep - The Hindu, 20th November, 2016</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFY5Me53e58cGyaiLeSaF0V033GClEQ5g0FsypvsFEb7-Q-jGwsy80flvT84v1AF6i_5a6GFNmcqyZYek4wP0dBVxBrEWmTjkzKavB-t7VmugiVaGRX9FGlOHxxO0V1B6BkzAWMahKRa1/s1600/IMG_5496+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFY5Me53e58cGyaiLeSaF0V033GClEQ5g0FsypvsFEb7-Q-jGwsy80flvT84v1AF6i_5a6GFNmcqyZYek4wP0dBVxBrEWmTjkzKavB-t7VmugiVaGRX9FGlOHxxO0V1B6BkzAWMahKRa1/s320/IMG_5496+2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;">It all began with an in-flight magazine. As I idly flipped through its pages, I was struck by a photo of a dramatic multi-tiered stone structure spiralling deep into the ground, embellished on all four sides with the most intricate carving. It was captioned ‘The Step Well at Chand Baori, Abhaneri, Rajasthan.’ And I instantly added it to my bucket list of places to visit.</span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; width: 600px;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">As I researched stepwells, I discovered that the ancient structures are wholly indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. They are excavations, often several hundred feet deep, with multiple tiers and subterranean channels that store and tap groundwater. The steps lining the sides of the well provide access to water while chambers and cornices carved into the sides serve as places to rest. Deeper stepwells had pulleys with which bullocks drew out water.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjAaVzI6tlghCx5-kycexYHn0HV0RtAaIz0osIvt4I-SnCJfRdpJqBsKXzFpsJZQD4t7zGTnOzp6WPuZ0hCsHrCrCgj9efraFd77cVGJ1TSFBI9w7rxhNMUmwtyFRAuPbvghuFsd4HB0l/s1600/IMG_1722+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjAaVzI6tlghCx5-kycexYHn0HV0RtAaIz0osIvt4I-SnCJfRdpJqBsKXzFpsJZQD4t7zGTnOzp6WPuZ0hCsHrCrCgj9efraFd77cVGJ1TSFBI9w7rxhNMUmwtyFRAuPbvghuFsd4HB0l/s400/IMG_1722+1.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">They were built in response to the perennial water scarcity in the deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The earliest stepwell (called <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vav</span> in Gujarati and <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">baori</span> in Rajasthani and Hindi) is said to have been built as early as 550 A.D. in the Thar desert.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ddubl80f_xj9lKo5ENxsjfd9fUeiK-9w1h16BmtSC_tzGjiw4EK-1kaspyklakftPQO_GVnts-YifM0Pyuz5U1anFWdVSYATMWmKZu4tzptYsmC3KP15Mlbt2qCJfInlryjhMq7g-HXv/s1600/IMG_5493.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ddubl80f_xj9lKo5ENxsjfd9fUeiK-9w1h16BmtSC_tzGjiw4EK-1kaspyklakftPQO_GVnts-YifM0Pyuz5U1anFWdVSYATMWmKZu4tzptYsmC3KP15Mlbt2qCJfInlryjhMq7g-HXv/s400/IMG_5493.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">And so, armedwith a wealth of information, I set out to find <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2021/12/chand-baori-poetry-in-stone.html" target="_blank">Chand Baori</a>. The taxi driver and the concierge at the Jaipur hotel were surprised: “There is not much to see”; “You must leave the place early, by 3:00 p.m. It is haunted.” Much was said to discourage me, but my mind was made up. Driving on the impressive Jaipur-Delhi highway, through a state-of-the-art tunnel, I almost missed the turning to Abhaneri, a tiny village 95 kilometres from Jaipur. A kaccha road brought me to a small stone threshold, which I entered rather sceptically. And there it was, Chand Baori, one of the most spectacular stepwells ever to be built.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">A quadrangle chiselled out of stone, 64-feet-deep, Chand Baori was built almost 1,000 years ago by King Chand Raja of the Pratihara clan. The stepwell is sheer poetry in stone and testimony to human ingenuity and perseverance. Built at a time when there was neither electricity nor sophisticated machinery, the precision of design left me dizzy. The 3,400 steps on three sides of the quadrangle are arranged in geometric symmetry, and the play of light and shade creates mysterious, diamond-shaped patterns. The fourth side of the well, which presumably held a pulley, is embellished with <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">jharokhas</span> (latticed windows) and ornate designs typical of Rajasthan. Much later, the Raja had cornices and chambers built along this wall, where he could enjoy full moon nights, with the reflection of the moon in the water deep below creating an ethereal effect.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Sadly, Chand Baori’s claim to fame today is not its spectacular architecture, but the fact that some of the most disturbing scenes in the movie <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">The Dark Knight Rises</span> were shot here, as also some portions of <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</span> and <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Bhool Bhulaiya.</span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">According to archaeological research, almost 3,000 stepwells were dug in Northwest and Central India, between the 5th and 18th centuries. They were the finest examples of water conservation, applied science, architecture and beauty. For instance, in Rajaon ki Baoli, built by Daulat Khan in Delhi’s Mehrauli Park, an impressive feat of engineering converted the dreaded loo (or hot wind) into cool air through intricate cooling systems.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Today, hardly 1,000 identifiable stepwells remain and they have turned into repositories of garbage. The first and hardest blow was dealt by the British who closed and silted most of them, labelling them unhygienic cesspools of infection and disease. After Independence, the abject neglect by the government and wanton destruction by citizens converted many beautiful '<span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vav</span>s' into garbage dumps. It took a UNESCO certification in 2014 and efforts by conservationists to introduce <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">baoris</span> and <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vavs</span> to a new generation of Indians and encourage architects to speak about their value.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Indeed, almost every <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">baori</span> has a story to tell. The <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vav</span> at Adalaj, 18 kilometres from Ahmedabad, tells the tale of Rani Roopba. King Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty initiated the <span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vav</span> ’s construction. However, he was invaded, vanquished and killed by Muhammad Begada. Smitten by the beauty of the Rana’s widow, Rani Roopba, Muhammad Begada sought to marry her. She agreed, but on the condition that he complete the stepwell. He did it, with the best artisans, and the Rani then visited the stepwell, ostensibly for a purificatory bath before marrying him. She circumambulated the well, offered prayers to god and to Rana Veer Singh, and then jumped to her death. The Adalaj stepwell also has on its precincts the tombs of the five artisans who built it, all of whom were executed.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Constructing <a href="https://www.ofplacesandpeople.com/2021/12/chand-baori-poetry-in-stone.html" target="_blank">stepwells </a>was often the preferred philanthropic activity of kings and queens. Artisans and sculptors embellished the cornices and chambers with exquisite carvings depicting gods and legends. Later Muslim invaders continued the task, and, in fact, built most of Delhi’s 30 stepwells. Stepwells not only store rainwater, they replenish groundwater. And since collecting water is often the burden of women, stepwells also became hubs where women congregated for some reprieve from their cloistered lives.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Baoris</span> or '<span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">vav</span>s' are some of India’s finest examples of form and function, aesthetics and architecture. Rani-ki-vav in Patan, Gujarat, constructed by Rani Udayamati in the 11th century, in memory of her husband King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty, resembles an inverted temple, seven tiers deep and embellished with the finest carvings. Excavated in the ’80s by the Archaeological Survey of India, Rani-ki-vav was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">I might have ticked Chand Baori off my bucket list, but I’ve ended up adding many more stepwells to it!</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthy</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">is a parent by profession and</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">traveller by passion.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; outline: 0px;" /></span>
</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<span face="TundraWeb-Italic" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">The earliest stepwell is said to have been built as early as 550 A.D. in the Thar desert</span></span></div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-42050202641920998422016-03-04T19:41:00.002+05:302020-03-17T15:26:52.466+05:30The Mookambika Temple at Kollur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The great thing about Bangalore is its proximity to significant destinations, from stunningly beautiful weekend getaways to important religious shrines. So, if there is a beautiful Coorg and Wyanad on the one side that provides a feast to the senses, there is the haloed Udupi, Sringeri and Kollur on the other that provides food for soul. A personal favourite has been the Mookambika Temple at Kollur and every visit has been a spiritual retreat on roads that snake through some of the most scenic parts of the Western Ghats.Every visit has left us hankering for more of both, the temple and the scenery.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Mookambika Temple at Kollur is not easily accessible in terms of being directly connected by rail or air. It is also not grand and beautiful with ornate sculptures and sky hugging gopurams (shikharas). In fact, it looks very much like the temple-next-door. Yet, it is one of the most revered temples in South India. Nestled in the Western Ghats, at the foot of the Kodachadri mountains, at a distance of 130 kilometres from Mangalore in Karnataka, the Mookambika Temple is so old that it finds a mention in the Skanda Purana itself and is revered on more than one count.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpd0k2CRzXEDHQKVS-pBIStSbrOhuM2ypEcIbOg0ZSPzmWImIkfiVyCzMfXWiCPyYJDDzImZX2F4k9vUMryjRTYuDes7ub9bokCTB_awjDUUz_W4aySQRMO3PEqrDYvHbg0ongLC1hxLKL/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpd0k2CRzXEDHQKVS-pBIStSbrOhuM2ypEcIbOg0ZSPzmWImIkfiVyCzMfXWiCPyYJDDzImZX2F4k9vUMryjRTYuDes7ub9bokCTB_awjDUUz_W4aySQRMO3PEqrDYvHbg0ongLC1hxLKL/s320/Capture.PNG" width="238" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpd0k2CRzXEDHQKVS-pBIStSbrOhuM2ypEcIbOg0ZSPzmWImIkfiVyCzMfXWiCPyYJDDzImZX2F4k9vUMryjRTYuDes7ub9bokCTB_awjDUUz_W4aySQRMO3PEqrDYvHbg0ongLC1hxLKL/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the Puranas, Kollur itself is sacred, for, it was here that Lord Shiva is said to have appeared before Sage Kola (Kola Maharishi) after the sage performed austere penance. Upon the sage's request that he should always have the grace of Shiva, the Lord enshrined himself in a linga and divided it by a golden line with the edict that the larger portion embodies Shakti, the female force. As the area was purified by Kola Maharish's penance the area came to be known as Kollur.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason as to why was Shiva decreed that the larger portion embodies Shakti is that it is also here that an evil asura was vanquished by Shakti, Amba or Parvathi. In the Kodachadri mountains that form the scenic backdrop to the temple, an evil asura, Kaumasura, performed austere penance to Shiva, who appeared before him as well and was about to grant him the boon of immortality. However, Vishnu and the other Gods having anticipated this, had approached Shakti or Devi, Lord Shiva's consort and begged her to intervene and vanquish this asura. It is often said that Lord Shiva would grant boons even to Asuras who obviously misused them and Vishnu would then have to step in to vanquish them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Devi drew into her the power of the three forms of Shakti, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi and rendered the Asura speechless(Mooka) just as he was about to ask for his boon. She is then said to have challenged him to a duel and vanquished him at what is today known as, Maaranghatta, twenty eight kilometres away from Kollur. To this day, an annual festival is held here in honour of Mookasura, as ordained by the Devi. Much later, while traversing the length and breadth of India, Adi Shankara visited Kollur. Enthralled by the environs, he stayed on and meditated on the Devi, in the Chitramoola caves in the Kodachadri hills. till she appeared before him. He then requested her to come to Kerala with him and reside in a temple. She agreed to follow him on the condition that he would not turn behind to check on her. If he did, she would stop there and be rooted to the spot. Adi Shankara agreed and they began the journey. Along the way Devi spotted the Swayambhu Linga and stopped to offer her obeisance . Adi Shankara could no longer hear her footsteps or the jingle of her anklets. Fearing that he had lost her, he turned back to check and broke the condition. The Devi stopped there. Adi Shankara was repentant and distressed. He pleaded for forgiveness and begged her to come with him to Kerala. The Devi agreed to be there at Chottanikara Temple in the mornings and come to Kollur in the evenings and then merged with the Swayambhu Linga. Adi Shankara then had an idol made of panchloha (five metals) that looked exactly as she appeared to him, beautiful and resplendent and installed it at Kollur as Mookambika.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="height: 0px;">
<br />
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2mhmnT1XsfH8Do6GkIdGPNYNIUobjsHvx-Bix9GyZ2us8tmzPdP6731zudENg2UBzwq5OoyBAaWbh43h4aldpQIUDqfiELrDulExluGgQDzjYjFSiL3ZOEn7JOdjAO5Ri4NcQFc6svwY/s1600/IMG_4753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgkJ-_qNqrTV5Op2qDt91RUn7vpnSu9DTJKV3naS553Y_uyi0LK2GIroUPH4NPNoOkL-aYriSm8bfpwZk-tzM3cYx5jqLMJmt0xOLyaRVPg6sik9x2I1Y-5GJQOZIQK2AnA2pzaMfPTw8/s1600/IMG_4755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgkJ-_qNqrTV5Op2qDt91RUn7vpnSu9DTJKV3naS553Y_uyi0LK2GIroUPH4NPNoOkL-aYriSm8bfpwZk-tzM3cYx5jqLMJmt0xOLyaRVPg6sik9x2I1Y-5GJQOZIQK2AnA2pzaMfPTw8/s320/IMG_4755.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOkjWHl5cWPqSNlhn7R2CWH1FHJNGS9KaxcEAf7I_fk3mV-ty5lfUBSk-geUelTQwlhlnC_hlRvItXqfO0O0kf3HS79pHq7oGuZcLJJm_lDVRs6gy9lkqddZcbLC4Zs5cknqd4Spd9sWN/s1600/IMG_1153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOkjWHl5cWPqSNlhn7R2CWH1FHJNGS9KaxcEAf7I_fk3mV-ty5lfUBSk-geUelTQwlhlnC_hlRvItXqfO0O0kf3HS79pHq7oGuZcLJJm_lDVRs6gy9lkqddZcbLC4Zs5cknqd4Spd9sWN/s320/IMG_1153.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WmTrPx6wXneKwurcHYEz_DORFrN0QCQpoxfFO7sVjk9TB-ZnI9AVlSHYhJVuNUT5c0aByFFZbDPwEG65wyunBwbk55G3H7l_haxYGsRgv0HOvXE9tusvxxXMspSQO0eJoSYJ7mXPh0z4/s1600/IMG_4751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji18_SEYHMeCmeqgp7Z3EICwTFUpT0SA7yhL6QORxuD12SCOP-3ezN-CS6HZYA2LUJBb5mKY9t1GgcXblTFcfdt8-zvUtf26LNuj3ipm7nrIAANk4_fzY06wr4Q119CRQ61EhyRlHjAo9p/s1600/IMG_1150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kollur may be accessed by road from Mangalore or Shimogha. Mangalore is also the closest rail-head and airport. Those coming from Tamil Nadu and Kerala can come either via Bangalore or Mangalore. The route via Mangalore is on a rather crowded NH skirts along Udupi and Manipal and takes about three hours. The route via Shimoga, a personal favourite, offers the option of going through the rainforests of Agumbe and Thirthalhalli or through Ayyanur and Ripponpet. and also takes around three hours. Agumbe is the second wettest place in the country, situated at an elevation of 2700 feet, amidst lofty mountains carpeted with the most lush rain forests drenched in sunshine or mist depending on the season. There are portions on this route where we have, without knowing, fallen silent either because the stillness of the area has transmitted itself to us or because we have been simply rendered speechless by the beauty. On subsequent trips we learnt to be still and silent so that we could spot the wildlife. A peacock crossing us with its glorious plumage sweeping the road, a pair of snakes slithering across, the swift mongoose, the puzzled porcupine - they all redefined spirituality brought us closer to divinity!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2mhmnT1XsfH8Do6GkIdGPNYNIUobjsHvx-Bix9GyZ2us8tmzPdP6731zudENg2UBzwq5OoyBAaWbh43h4aldpQIUDqfiELrDulExluGgQDzjYjFSiL3ZOEn7JOdjAO5Ri4NcQFc6svwY/s1600/IMG_4753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2mhmnT1XsfH8Do6GkIdGPNYNIUobjsHvx-Bix9GyZ2us8tmzPdP6731zudENg2UBzwq5OoyBAaWbh43h4aldpQIUDqfiELrDulExluGgQDzjYjFSiL3ZOEn7JOdjAO5Ri4NcQFc6svwY/s320/IMG_4753.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji18_SEYHMeCmeqgp7Z3EICwTFUpT0SA7yhL6QORxuD12SCOP-3ezN-CS6HZYA2LUJBb5mKY9t1GgcXblTFcfdt8-zvUtf26LNuj3ipm7nrIAANk4_fzY06wr4Q119CRQ61EhyRlHjAo9p/s1600/IMG_1150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji18_SEYHMeCmeqgp7Z3EICwTFUpT0SA7yhL6QORxuD12SCOP-3ezN-CS6HZYA2LUJBb5mKY9t1GgcXblTFcfdt8-zvUtf26LNuj3ipm7nrIAANk4_fzY06wr4Q119CRQ61EhyRlHjAo9p/s320/IMG_1150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, a drive in these Western Ghats is highly recommended even if the temple is not the destination, but that is another story!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether it is the influence of Adi Shankara, who was from Kalady in Kerala or the fact that in the olden days the entire area came under Kerala, the temple architecture is predominantly Keralite - simple, linear and flat with an abundant use of wood, unlike the temples of Tamil Nadu that are ornate, huge and built in stone. The only expression of the ornate in the Mookambika Temple comes from the centuries-old murals painted with vegetable dyes and the very simple white designs against a mud-brown backdrop. A very tall brass lamp with a tortoise for its base, in the centre of the courtyard makes an arresting spectacle, especially in the evenings when it is fully lit. The sanctum Santorum is small but provides a clear view of the idol. A brass plate on the floor, just beneath the idol, covers the Lingam with the Suvarna Rekha or golden line the divides it into two, the larger portion embodying Shakthi and the smaller portion embodying Shiva.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Mookambika temple is regarded by many as the most auspicious place to start the process of education or commence one's journey in the field of music and dance. As the Devi here is a manifestation of Saraswathi, the goddess of learning, along with Lakshmi and Durga, many devotees bring their toddlers and young children to perform the Saraswathi Pooja at the Saraswathi Mandapam. The other important puja here is the Chandi Homa, a yagna that worships Durga, the slayer of the asura, Chanda.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lesser known fact is the secularity of the temple. In 1763, when Tipu Sultan conquered the Keladi province, under which Kollur figured, he is supposed to have proceeded to the temple, possibly with an intention to plunder. As he entered the temple, the pradosha puja conducted at pradosha kala (dusk) each day, was under way. Mesmerised by the beauty of the Goddess and thoroughly impacted by the devotional fervour at that moment when flaming lamps were offered to the deity, he is said to have laid down his arms in surrender and offered her "salaam" in obeisance. Since then, to this day, this puja and arathi is called "salaam mangalarathi, in honour of Tipu Sultan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every devotee makes his or her own personal connection with the Goddess and stories of devotees having tangibly experienced the grace of the Goddess are many.It is a heart warming sight to see toddlers earnestly following their eager parents in the Saraswathi Mandapa or young artists performing at the Saraswathi Mandapa with a conviction that can be born only out of devotion. There are no massive idols or ornate designs and structures to distract the mind. Almost everyone is serious with the business of praying and leaves immediately as the temple town does not offer anything more other than a visit to the Chitramoola cave high up in the Kodachadri mountains. The really curious and the really devout spare half a day for this visit that can be undertaken only in a four wheel jeep since the climb is rather steep and arduous.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shorn of all legend and lore, temples every where are receptacles of the most positive vibes from those who visit them. Some come with supplication, some with a woe, some with gratitude and some with enlightened awareness. At ancient temples like Mookambika, these vibes are even more steeped in devotion as the faith has come down from generations. For some like me, the prayer begins with the journey from Bangalore and culminates in a sense of utter peace and homecoming at the entrance of the temple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.kollurmookambika.co.in, the temple website, gives comprehensive information on timings and poojas, accommodation and accessibility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-17865352342838727232014-08-13T16:43:00.002+05:302020-03-23T00:04:56.696+05:30Ladakh's Unconventional Attractions - Published in Education World July 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQQ19-6Q4EIpCbxWTvwuOMhIx2fCE3AO581rhQ91Aasug1t2nKCw_Kvtq5FJjAU3kaKHTvnVhus5exDepjn1h0hlqk1WO_n35eL0ROMqpJuipxZT3AjHEOaiooOqNDeh9biePnopfXOwZ/s1600/25MP_Ladakh_1_JPG_1466218g-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="286" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQQ19-6Q4EIpCbxWTvwuOMhIx2fCE3AO581rhQ91Aasug1t2nKCw_Kvtq5FJjAU3kaKHTvnVhus5exDepjn1h0hlqk1WO_n35eL0ROMqpJuipxZT3AjHEOaiooOqNDeh9biePnopfXOwZ/s640/25MP_Ladakh_1_JPG_1466218g-2.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">ONE OF THE THREE districts of India’s way-up-north state of Jammu & Kashmir (pop. 12.5 million) and administered by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Council, Ladakh is one of India’s most unlikely tourism hotspots. Once visited only by foreign travellers exploring monasteries and forlorn mountain trails, Ladakh’s stark, barren and unconventional landscape has been impacted upon the popular imagination by several Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters, which have brought this isolated region on the radar of India’s more adventurous middle class travellers.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Ensconced in the Upper Indus Valley of Kashmir, straddling the upper Himalayas and the Karakoram range, Ladakh (pop.260,000, of which Tibetan Buddhists constitute 51 percent and Shia Muslims 48 percent) translates into “land of the high passes”.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Getting there </b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With Aksai chin, and Xiangjiang (China) to the north and east, and the valley of Kashmir to its west, Ladakh is surrounded on three sides by Pakistan and China and subject to frequent border incursions from troops and patrols of these nations. This explains the major presence of the Indian Army in the district. If despite this geo-political drawback, the region is attracting a rising number of tourists from India and abroad, it’s because the charms of Ladakh are unique and make unconventional demands on tourists. It offers some of the highest motorable roads worldwide, a close-up experience of the Himalayas, high-altitude lakes and a primeval wilderness with miles of solitude. The peak tourist season is mid-May to October. However, quite a few adrenalin-spiked hikers roam Ladakh even beyond October, when the harsh winter sets in.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">The two-day, 473 km </span><b style="text-align: left;">Manali-Leh road</b><span style="text-align: left;"> winds its way through four steep passes in the Himalayas — Rohtang (13,060 ft), Baralacha La (16,500 ft), Lachulung La (16,616 ft) and Tanglang La (17,460 ft). It traverses glacial streams and rivulets which feed major rivers including the Chenab and Beas, and affords spectacular vistas of Himalayan peaks. Overnight halts are at</span><b style="text-align: left;"> Keylong</b><span style="text-align: left;"> (3,096 ft) which offers conventional hotels (Rs.300-2,400 per room per night) or </span><b style="text-align: left;">Sarchu </b><span style="text-align: left;">(4,253 ft) and </span><b style="text-align: left;">Pang</b><span style="text-align: left;"> (4,500 ft) with basic yet adequate tented accommodation (Rs.500 -1,000). Most tourists prefer to halt at Keylong to ease the process of altitude acclimatisation.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Driving up the Manali-Leh road is a test of courage (the narrow width of its two-way traffic road barely accommodates one vehicle), stamina and endurance. Yet those who have made this journey have many survival stories to tell, of close shaves and roadblocks relieved by the mesmerising grandeur of the Himalayas. Taxis ply from Manali to Leh charging Rs.3,000 per head or Rs.17,000-22,000 per SUV. Omnibuses of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation and private buses also ply this route (Rs.600-800 per head).</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The 434-km Srinagar-Leh drive is on a historic road — the major Central Asian trade route along the Indus River used by merchants for over 200 years. There are breathtaking views of the raw landscape as it tunnels through the Zoji La (11,575 ft) and Fotu La (13,478 ft) passes. Unfortunately, NH 1 is not in as good condition as the Manali-Leh highway.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Acclimatisation</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since Ladakh falls within the rain shadow region of the Himalayas and is sited above the tree line (mostly above 9,900 ft), vegetation is sparse in this ‘cold desert’. The oxygen-deficient atmosphere at that elevation inflicts varying degrees of altitude mountain sickness (AMS) symptomised by headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue upon most visitors. Failure to acclimatise could prompt HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) and/or HACE (high altitude cerebral edema) both of which are serious — and sometimes fatal — afflictions. Tourists are advised to take acclimatisation seriously by avoiding all physical activity, remaining hydrated, and resting for the first 24 hours. Most people become acclimatised within 12-15 hours. In a rare case when symptoms persist, retreating to the plains is the only solution.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Leh</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Leh (pop. 1,17,637), the administrative capital of Ladakh district, is dotted with monuments, museums and monasteries. The War Museum, Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace and Leh Bazaar, are all within a radius of 10 km.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The War Museum,</b> established by the Indian Army, chronicles and showcases the valour and sacrifice of Indian soldiers with pride and poignancy. The <b>Shanti Stupa </b>built by a Japanese Buddhist monk in 1991 and consecrated by the Dalai Lama, contains relics of the Buddha. Sited atop a 13,999 ft mountain, the stupa offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. Likewise <b>Leh Palace,</b>perched precariously against the flat side of the Tsemo Mountain is testimony to the simple life of Ladakh’s royalty. Much of this nine-storey palace is in ruins but the <b>Palace Museum</b> adjoining it, is a treasure trove of ancient Tanghka paintings, Ladakhi jewellery and Tibetan handlooms and handicrafts.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Hotels</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> Top end:</b> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Grand Dragon Ladakh, The Druk Ladakh, Shangri-La Ladakh, Hotel Gawaling International, Hotel Lasermo (Rs.4,900-12,000 per room per night). </span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Mid-range:</b> Himalayan Heritage, Dragon, Antelope and Nalanda Ladakh hotels (Rs.2,500-5,000).</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Budget:</b> Dreamland, Naro, Snow Lion and Yasmin hotels (Rs.1,000-1,800).</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Monasteries</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Once a district of Tibet, Ladakh hosts ancient and revered monasteries which are a great draw. The <b>Hemis Monastery, </b>which hosts the <b>Hemis festival</b> every July, is the oldest and wealthiest in Ladakh. The festival offers a cultural feast of Ladakh’s dance and music, attracting tourists from all over the world. The monastery at <b>Lamayuru,</b> also one of the oldest, is located at the end of a roller coaster ride, high up in the mountains and houses 150 resident monks. Along the way lies the <b>Moonscape,</b> a stretch of land that resembles the surface of the moon with craters and moon dust!</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Thiksey Monastery, </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">known as ‘Mini Potala’ because it’s a replica of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet which was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, houses a 49 ft high Buddha statue, the tallest in Ladakh. At </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Alchi Monastery,</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> thousand-year-old murals on the walls seem to pulsate with the serene, single-tone chant of monks.</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Excursions</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The road to the <b>Nubra Valley,</b> accessed from Leh through Khardung La pass (a distance of 115 km), is the highest motorable road in the world. As it climbs from 11,200 ft at Leh to the 18,360 ft Khardung La, the brown mountains with blue, mauve and grey chips of stone give way to glaciers with snow that is deceptively deep. In these surreal surroundings, flora and fauna are conspicuously absent. At the top of the pass, drivers remind tourists not to expose themselves to the elements for more than three-four minutes and to refrain from vigorous activity, because at that altitude, mountain sickness (AMS) can strike swiftly and hard, and they could easily walk off a cliff as they lose all sense of direction.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">After a mandatory three-minute stop at the <b>Khardung La,</b> vehicles descend to the green Nubra valley where walnut, apricot, almond and apple trees provide a striking contrast to the denuded beauty of upper Ladakh. Here you’ll see the double humped <b>Bactrian camel,</b> a ride on which is highly recommended. The undulating, white sand dunes of <b>Hundar</b> are another attraction of the valley and at <b>Panamik,</b> there are hot sulphur springs with reportedly curative properties.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Hotels. Top-end:</b> Most tourists stay at Diskit. Himalayan Desert and Mystique Meadows Swiss Cottage camps with en suite toilets (Rs.5,500 per night upwards). </span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Mid-range:</b> Nubra Ethnic Camp and Silk Route cottages (Rs.3,300 upwards). </span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Budget:</b> Sand Dunes and Olthang guest houses and Hotel Sten Del (Rs.400-1,500).</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Lakes of Ladakh</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">A major attraction of Ladakh is its glacial lakes, of which Tso Moriri (15,075 ft asl) and Pangong Tso (14,370 ft) are the most visited. The five-hour drive from Leh to Pangong is through the Chang La pass (17,000 ft) on a narrow, ice-laden road twisting through mountains that seem to touch the sky. Yet the testing and often scary drive to <b>Pangong Tso</b> is worth the effort as the water changes colours during the day. This serene and seemingly unending lake is the nesting sanctuary of rare birds such as the Brahminy Duck and the bareheaded goose. It’s also pertinent to note that 60 percent of Pangong Tso’s water body is within Tibet (China) and patrolled by the Chinese Army, with the remaining 40 under Indian jurisdiction. A popular location of Bollywood directors, the excursion to Pangong Tso is best completed in a day as residential accommodation is very basic with hotels unable to provide running hot water.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Brimming over at an even higher altitude of 15,057 ft is the 120 sq. km <b>Tso Moriri</b> which is squarely within Indian territory. Sited 240 km from Leh on the Leh-Manali route, it’s advisable to attempt this excursion only after complete acclimatisation. Since the drive takes six-seven hours (albeit through stunning scenery), the excursion requires two days. Overnight accommodation is available in <b>Korzok village</b> and requires advance booking.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Hotels.</b> Tso Mo Riri Camp and Resort (Rs.800-3,000 per night) offers luxury Swiss tents with attached toilets; Nomadic Lake Camp (Rs.800-2,000); and Mentok, Lake View and Crane guest houses (Rs.600-800) with excellent views of the lake, and shared toilets.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>Other excursions</b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>The Magnetic Hill, </b>30 km from Leh, is an upward sloping road on which your car will “climb” with the ignition switched off because of magnetic force! Off-the-beaten track sorties are the rugged villages of <b>Dha</b> and <b>Hanu</b> and the<b> Hanle</b> <b>Observatory.</b> The descendants of Alexander the Great who invaded north India in 326 BCE are believed to be living in these villages, 163 km from Leh. Tourists are permitted, with prior permission from the district collector. This is a two-day excursion offering overnight tented accommodation.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">At Hanle, 275 km from Leh, the Indian Astronomical Society has constructed the world’s altitudinally highest observatory equipped with the gamma ray telescope, the <b>Himalayan Chandra.</b> Permission from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, is required for visiting Hanle.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">For the shopaholics, there’s a treasure trove of Tibetan and Kashmiri handicrafts and handlooms in the <b>Leh Bazaar. </b>Scarves, singing bowls (a type of bell), Tibetan votive objects, precious and semi-precious stones and jewellery are available aplenty. But watch out for fakes and touts.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>NB:</b> Valid ID proofs (passport, driving licence, PAN card, etc) are advised even for Indian nationals</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table style="color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-69728653395678814182014-03-21T15:54:00.001+05:302020-03-22T01:11:37.888+05:30Off the Beaten Track in Tamil Nadu - Published in the March 2014 issue of the Education World Magazine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmcf6Y_ZYqLkRKHnUIfu3JPm-EQdWh-tsjUrR9DrO5M_ayqo8WX1Hn7gll_Qgcmda9w8fMiQMjwXfBZ0fBpAK0KGzgMyJvlTzZkru2C3_HpgxybeKsvrdqs-DpTixUVxbZQVrrepwf2Hi/s1600/Yercaud-lake(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="height: 0px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNdlDAf_gEAFcElJmAV0btsx8yANQD8lSvPo5GYaa6KrJINg9h3kprmcYCFCNzvhZ8xFMkw17s_53YxJPBUFfZdocFkzBilUqa3ME346v9_nwBvcvdU6QGVLiQXCcYesrtsXt-IZZvIpn/s1600/IMG_2644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNdlDAf_gEAFcElJmAV0btsx8yANQD8lSvPo5GYaa6KrJINg9h3kprmcYCFCNzvhZ8xFMkw17s_53YxJPBUFfZdocFkzBilUqa3ME346v9_nwBvcvdU6QGVLiQXCcYesrtsXt-IZZvIpn/s640/IMG_2644.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Off the Beaten Track in Tamil Nadu</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The only state in India to host the Western and Eastern Ghats culminating in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu boasts five Unesco World Heritage sites and a southern tip plunging into the sea at the point of confluence of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean</span></span></div>
<div style="color: blue; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Contrary to popular opinion, Ooty, Kodaikanal and Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) are not the only holiday/vacation options that the south-eastern seaboard state of Tamil Nadu (pop. 72.14 million) has to offer people in search of rest, recreation and infotainment. It also boasts — perhaps not enough — five Unesco World Heritage sites and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, and is the only state in India to host the Western and Eastern Ghats, culminating in the Nilgiris. With an impressive 910-km coastline, its southern tip plunging into the sea is the point of confluence of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Therefore instead of over-hyped Ooty, you could take off to undiscovered climes like the hill station of Valparai from Coimbatore, or instead of just passing through Salem, you could venture a mere 22 km to the pleasant hill resort of Yercaud, or discover that Rameswaram is much more than its reputation of a pilgrim town.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Valparai</span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Nestling within terraced tea gardens on the slopes of the Anamallai Hills range, skirting the Anamallai Tiger Reserve and the Indira Gandhi National Park, unhurried and relatively unknown Valparai (pop. 70,771) is easily accessible by road from Coimbatore via Pollachi in 150 minutes. The smooth tarred road has 40 hairpin bends. En route is the Aliyar Dam, a huge water body and the contiguous Aliyar Park, equipped with an aquarium, a small theme park, and a well-maintained garden — ideal for a picnic stop. As the road curves around the Indira Gandhi National Park, a keen eye may spot huge lion tailed black faced macaques, langurs, the Nilgiri Tahr deer or even a herd of elephants. And then, as the disparate greenery on hill slopes is replaced by rows of neat tea bushes, Valparai emerges, quiet and secluded.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Among the pleasures of this tranquil retreat is soaking in the beauty of the Anamallai Range and experiencing the sunrise and sunset from vantage points, embarking on night safaris for close encounters with leopards, panthers, gaur and elephants or bird watching treks in the surrounding areas arranged by hotels and homestay managements.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Excursions ex Valparai:</span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A recommended day excursion is to the Athirapally Falls between the Parambikulam Wild Life Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park. It’s a scenic two-hour drive ( 67 km) from Valparai through lush forest with enchantingly diverse flora and fauna and melodious bird sounds, and along the way, the Sholayar Dam, the second deepest in Asia. Set aside a day to visit the foot of the waterfall.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sixty km from Valparai, tucked deep within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is the beautiful hideaway of Topslip. Here, the Tamil Nadu state government offers residential accommodation in lodges and tree top houses, which are surprisingly comfortable, with modern amenities. Elephant safaris on huge tuskers take you into the heart of the unmotorable Anamallai Tiger Reserve. Guided treks on foot and river rafting are other options. Since Topslip is sited in the middle of dense bamboo and teak forests, it’s advisable to carry water bottles, snacks, mosquito repellants and basic medicines. Moreover, Topslip and the adjoining national parks are closed for a specified period between April and June, so it’s better to check with the forest department before planning a visit.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While at Valparai, make time to visit the village of the Muduvar tribe, so named because they carry their children on their backs or muduhu. Although not entirely cut off from civilization, the Muduvars (like the Todas of Ooty) are far removed from it. They eke out a livelihood by gathering honey and indigenous herbs from hill slopes which they sell to middlemen, who buy cheap and sell dear. The Muduvars are an endangered tribe and visits to their protected area require a permit from the forest department of Tamil Nadu, which is normally procured by the hotel or resort. For teachers and parents with children’s groups, a trip to the Muduvar reserve is an opportunity to touch upon history, geography, sociology and anthropology.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Residential accommodation. </b>Valparai is an off-the-beaten tourist track, so accommodation options are limited but extend across the price spectrum from budget to luxury.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Budget hotels </b>(Rs.850 per room/night): Green Hill Hotel, Hotel Holiday Break and Hotel Treat. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mid-priced:</b> (Rs.1,600-3,600): Valparai Krishna Inn, Green Hill Hotel and Briar Tea Bungalow. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>High-end</b>(Rs.5000-8,000): Sinna Dorai’s, Monica, Sirukundra and Stanmore bungalows offer luxury raj era accommodation. Maintained by plantation companies (Parry Agro, Woodbriar Group), they offer a good opportunity to experience life on a tea plantation.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Residential accommodation at Topslip</b> (Rs.500-2,000) is administered by the field director, Anamallai Tiger Reserve (Tel: 04259-238360).</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dining options</b><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Valparai is a small town with basic restaurants which offer local cuisines. It’s advisable to make AP (American Plan) hotel bookings with all meals provided.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Visiting seasons.</b> The best time to visit Valparai is October-March when the weather is cool and pleasant. Summer (April-June) temperatures range between 15-25oC .</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yercaud</span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">High up at 4,970 ft above sea level in the Shevaroy hills of Tamil Nadu, Yercaud (pop. 41, 832 ) is an ideal and convenient weekend getaway from Bangalore and Chennai. A pleasant hour-long drive from hot and crowded Salem through 20 hairpin bends ends at the Yercaud Lake which gives the hill station its name — yer (‘lake’) and kadu (‘forest’). Unsurprisingly, all activity in this charming hill station is centred around the lake.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Inhabited initially by Tamilians from Kanchipuram who fled Telugu invasions, Yercaud appeared on the map in 1842 when the governor of Madras Presidency, Sir Thomas Munroe, discovered the Shevaroy Hills. Later between 1820-29 David Cockburn, collector of Salem planted imported coffee beans from Arabia, and pears and apples from South Africa for the first plantations and orchards. Yercaud is literally perched atop the hills affording astounding views of the valley from all vantages. The weather is always pleasant even in summer (April-June) when the temperatures range from 24-27oC. Winters can be wet and cold but for discerning visitors, they add to the charm of Yercaud.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Excursions ex Yercaud.</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Multi-level challenge treks are organised by the Chennai Trekking Club and some local groups. Experienced trekkers can take on the 90 ft Killiyur Falls — result of an overflow from the Yercaud Lake. The waterfall is the reward at the end of a testing two-hour trek offering the greatest challenge during the monsoon when it is dangerously slippery! The less adventurous can opt for a picturesque drive on the 32 km Loop Road which goes deep into the forest under a canopy of trees.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the lake, there are advanced boating facilities and from the Lady’s, Child’s and Gent’s Seats one can take in some spectacular views of the Shevaroy Hills and the immense valley below. Also worth a visit is the National Orchidarium which houses a range of flora including the legendary insectivorous pitcher plant. At the silkworm farm, you could learn how silkworms are reared, silk yarn spun, and purchase rare cuttings and saplings from the Rose Garden. Yercaud has quaint by-lanes like Cockburn Road and Tipperary Road, lined with pretty colonial cottages.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Getting to Yercaud.</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Salem is the closest railhead. It is 203 km from Bangalore and 335 km from Chennai. Roads to Salem from Bangalore and Chennai are well-maintained and the distance can be covered in three and five hours respectively. Private and state transport buses and cabs ply at regular intervals between Salem and <b>Yercaud.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Residential accommodation.</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Budget hotels </b>(Rs.480-2,000 per room/night): Royal Resort, Silver Holiday Cottages and VSV Resorts. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mid-range </b>(Rs.2,300-5,000): Hotel Shevaroys (perhaps the oldest in Yercaud), Golden Nest Resorts, Green Berry Resort, Clifton Inn and Vihal Estancia. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>High-end</b> (Rs.5,000 upwards): GRT Nature Trails, Grand Palace Hotel and Spa.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Club Mahindra’s Lake Forest Hotel (Rs.2,920-5,640) and Sterling Resorts’ Rock Perch (Rs.3,190-7,000) are open to time share members as well as to non-member visitors. Another residential option is Grange Resort housed in the eponymous plantation where coffee was first grown. It offers state-of-the-art facilities and adventure trail rides including motorbiking on dirt tracks.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yercaud is a round-the-year destination. However, since monsoons run from June to September, the peak seasons are March-June and October-February.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Rameswaram</span></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sited 160 km from madurai, rameswaram is more than a mere temple town for devout Hindus. In the epic Ramayana, it is identified as the locus where Lord Ram’s simian army built Adam’s Bridge between India and Sri Lanka, for the invasion of Ravana’s kingdom. It is also the sacred location where Lord Ram prayed to Shiva, atoning for the sin of killing the Brahmin Ravana. Since according to Hindu scriptures, a pilgrimage to Varanasi is incomplete without a visit to Rameswaram, it attracts visitors from all over the country.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">However, Rameswaram the temple town (pop. 82,68) on Pamban Island boasts other attractions such as the Pamban rail and road bridges that connect Rameswaram island to the Indian mainland. The 100-year-old Pamban Rail Bridge over the ocean, is one of the ten most dangerous bridges of the world, sited in a whirlwind zone. On some stretches, wind speeds could drive a speeding train off the track! Therefore, an anemometer erected at the centre of the bridge automatically alerts train drivers when wind velocity crosses 55 km/hr, warning them to reduce speed to a crawl. Work on the 6,776 ft long rail bridge commenced in 1902 with excavations conducted by the Khurai families of Gujarat, experts in constructing Himalayan bridges. It took 12 years to complete the Pamban Rail Bridge — India’s first cantilever bridge. Until 2007, only narrow gauge trains ran on this track. However on the suggestion of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Indian Railways strengthened the bridge track, and today broad gauge trains easily cross the bridge. Centenary celebrations of the Pamban Rail Bridge, awaiting Unesco’s World Heritage status, will commence later this month (February).</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dhanushkodi is the other must-do in Rameswaram. As recounted in the Ramayana, after the defeat of Ravana, his brother Vibheesana, fearing more strife, is believed to have requested Lord Ram to sever links between Sri Lanka and India. To this end, Ram struck the land with the end (kodi) of his bow (dhanush) and it came to be known as Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi is said to be the starting point of the Ram Setu (Ram’s Bridge) and at the point of confluence, it is lashed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Geographically, it is the southernmost tip of India and a mere 15 km from Rameswaram. The last half hour journey to Dhanushkodi is across a deserted stretch of wet, slushy mud in which ordinary vehicles tend to get stuck. It is advisable therefore, to travel in a four wheel drive vehicle driven by an experienced local driver (Rs.1,300).</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For first time visitors as well as returnees, the visual impact of the tip of India — a raw, stark and untainted landscape — is awesome. The wind velocity could knock you off your feet, with the roar of the ocean and wind absolutely deafening! Even the staunchest atheist or agnostic can’t help connecting the other-worldly experience of literally standing on Land’s End, as in mythology. At another level it’s the ultimate adventure trip.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ten minutes from Land’s End is the ghost village of Dhanushkodi. The Pamban Rail Bridge used to end at Dhanushkodi village, until on the midnight of December 22, 1964 a 20 ft high tsunami washed away the track with an entire train of 115 passengers, and the village itself. The relics of the village and the raging wind bring home the helplessness of man in the face of nature’s fury. Since that awful night in 1964, Dhanushkodi village has been declared a ghost habitat unfit for human inhabitation.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And finally, there is the iconic house in Rameswaram where India’s most loved scientist, statesman and former President Dr. Abdul Kalam was born and raised. His elder brother sits in the verandah and patiently responds to visitors’ queries, often recounting a past when Hindus and Muslims co-existed in such harmony that the chief priest of the temple would daily stop by their house to spend a few minutes with his close friend, their father, who had once unhesitatingly jumped into the sea to retrieve the Ramanathaswamy idol. Visitors must also take in the waves-bereft Rameswaram beach. Legend has it that Lord Ram stilled the waters so that his simian army could build the Ram Setu bridge.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Getting to Rameswaram</b>. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The most convenient option is by road from Madurai (174 km). Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) buses ply between Madurai and Rameswaram and trains from Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, Trichy and Tirunelvelli. Madurai is the closest airport.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Residential Accommodation.</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Budget hotels</b> (Rs. 450 -800): Sriram Island Hotel, Maharaja, the Tamil Nadu Hotel (run by TTDC), and Hare Rama Hare Krishna. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mid-rung </b>(Rs.1,300-3,000): Hotel Royal Park, Hotel MCM Towers and Blue Coral Cottage.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> High-end </b>(Rs.3,600 upwards): Daiwik Hotel.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="height: 0px; text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4691319572644453669.post-29373414603717951552014-01-24T16:20:00.000+05:302020-03-22T00:11:55.104+05:30Feel of the country in Yercaud - Published in the Sunday Herald on 19th January 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Feel of The Country in Yercaud</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSjkuJbRHLM-fffkQhW26vlNgC0mwwDRu0TNE-cZxDkv6W-o-ggG9wwQZJTGm0sOx80q1WAH31TsdeLJXH0_ZwGfVc4oM46pdLlMKfKDJz_DdQUA6jpnhxbOmaOMcARmN77tvReZh_qfX/s1600/IMG_3360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSjkuJbRHLM-fffkQhW26vlNgC0mwwDRu0TNE-cZxDkv6W-o-ggG9wwQZJTGm0sOx80q1WAH31TsdeLJXH0_ZwGfVc4oM46pdLlMKfKDJz_DdQUA6jpnhxbOmaOMcARmN77tvReZh_qfX/s640/IMG_3360.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">It is very difficult to believe that a mere twenty two kilometres from chaotic, noisy and lively Salem, at a height of 4970 feet, lies Yercaud , a quaint hill station in the middle of Shevaroy Hills in the Eastern Ghats. Yercaud, the "jewel of the south", is not as well known as Ootacamund or Kodaikanal and therefore spared the ravages of droves of tourists but it is a very popular hill station because it is relatively less expensive and has comfortable weather conditions throughout the year. The temperature does not cross 28 or 29 degrees in summer and does not fall below 13 to 14 degrees in winter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx6rANmLaRQej12QVka-p3bMN7uaRk5wzD9ycz_laU1hRHfKxV8RUNUWc_ihNiMvB840s4j_X9phvGV7vBc7k_vnY523WpkekgsIARzL-ScKCv6lvYNJ6GHGWwIWEoKrD2gh3rlGsi7fe/s1600/IMG_3342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx6rANmLaRQej12QVka-p3bMN7uaRk5wzD9ycz_laU1hRHfKxV8RUNUWc_ihNiMvB840s4j_X9phvGV7vBc7k_vnY523WpkekgsIARzL-ScKCv6lvYNJ6GHGWwIWEoKrD2gh3rlGsi7fe/s640/IMG_3342.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Tracing its etymology to the Tamil term 'Yer' meaning lake and ' Kadu' meaning forest, Yercaud, literally means the Forest around the lake and is believed to have been inhabited first by the tribes from Kanchipuram when Tamil Nadu or Thondai, as it was then known, was invaded by Telugu rulers. We know about Yercaud from the time Sir Thomas Muroe discovered it on 1842. Planters made a beeline after David Cockburn set up his own plantation with coffee, pepper, orange, apple and other citrus fruit plants imported from South Africa.<br />
A 22 kilometre, forty five minute drive from Salem on a fine ghat road is one of the USPs of Yercaud. This drive is best done in the morning so that you can ooh and aah over the twenty, scary hairpin bends, the beautiful scenery and the clusters of baby monkeys and their families.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS1jZ3Umc64gdTslxTtNaPn8CcWNwsSz-Ogyh0qT-IJBxdH15baRp8nlYHmohnjbFdzcSjwPy9hyRJMQ3edflBew5m4qfK-wEJqmeXlQt_MjhhpjHaI50GU-i9Eb48EovQZ7S2yI9ro72/s1600/IMG_3383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS1jZ3Umc64gdTslxTtNaPn8CcWNwsSz-Ogyh0qT-IJBxdH15baRp8nlYHmohnjbFdzcSjwPy9hyRJMQ3edflBew5m4qfK-wEJqmeXlQt_MjhhpjHaI50GU-i9Eb48EovQZ7S2yI9ro72/s640/IMG_3383.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
You know you have reached Yercaud when the lake appears. This is quite a sight - a serene body of water ringed in by mysterious beautiful hills and dotted with colourful boats. There are other sights too in Yercaud. The Lady's Seat, perched up on a precipice gives a vantage view of the hills all around, the sunrise and the sunset. It is named so because the ladies of the Raj would sit there and pass the time of the day soaking in the sun and the beauty with a pair of binoculars. At the Botanical gardens, the Orchadarium and the Rose gardens you can see the diverse flora and fauna of the Shevaroy Hills right down to the insectivorous pitcher plant. The Killiyur Falls into which the lake empties out is another beautiful sight, if you can manage the trek. The view from Pagoda Point and the Karadiyur Point in Karadiyur village, 12 kilometres from Yercaud are worth a dekko.<br />
<br />
For those who swear off the traditional sight seeing spots, Yercaud offers many small streets and bylines through which you can amble gently, soaking in the quaint colonial bungalows, stop by and tease a butterfly and quaff a cup of tea from the chai kadai (shop) in the typical olde worlde thick glass tumbler. Or you can pick up some absolutely fresh green peppercorns, bite into soft avocados and taste some uncommon fruits right off the trees in the plantations. Then you can get into the car and drive around the 32 kilometre loop road which starts at the lake and ends at it - a road straight out of the picture book complete with the canopy of trees.<br />
Most visitors gravitate to Yercaud in the summer but it is the monsoon and winter have that I have enjoyed Yercaud the best, with the clouds swirling all over the hill station, coming into my room and bringing with it the fragrance of the rain as it hits the hills around. To snatch that let-up in the rain and walk down the roads that are totally mud splattered may not be everyone's cup of tea but the greenery awash with rain and the mist closing in is not something to be taken lightly! Yet, if you are the type to want to remain warm and dry, you can still pull up the chair to the sit out and watch the clouds and the rain till Kingdom come.<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Give Yercaud only three days - you will not need more. Just three days and you will come back feeling happy and peaceful and completely recharged!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Bhagyalakshmi Krishnamurthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165206838422923102noreply@blogger.com0